Search

Since its last Review, Pakistan has initiated 58 anti-dumping investigations, which led to the imposition of 31 definitive measures. It has not taken any safeguard or countervailing measures. Import prohibitions and restrictions are maintained for health, safety, security, moral, and environmental reasons. Pakistan's standards are mostly based on international standards. A National Food Safety, Animal, and Plant Health Regulatory Authority is currently being established. No SPS notifications have been submitted since January 2000.

Since 2008, Pakistan has initiated 58 anti-dumping investigations, which led to the imposition of 31 definitive measures. No safeguard or countervailing measures have been taken. Import prohibitions and licensing are operated mainly for health, safety, security, moral and environmental reasons. While imports from India have been liberalized to a certain extent, imports from Israel remain banned. Pakistan's standards are mostly based on international standards. A National Food Safety, Animal, and Plant Health Regulatory Authority is currently being established. No SPS notifications have been submitted since January 2000.

Pakistan is a signatory to the Basel Convention on Hazardous Wastes, the Rotterdam Convention on Trade in Hazardous Chemicals, the Montreal Protocol and CITES.

Pakistan continues to ban imports of a range of items, mainly for health, safety, security, moral and environmental reasons (Table A3.2). Imports of alcoholic beverages , re-treaded and used pneumatic tyres, gambling equipment, a range of munitions, counterfeit products and CFC gas-based equipment remain banned, the latter since 31 December 2009. Imports of HCFC gases will be phased out progressively by 2040. An import ban is in place on live animals from BSE-infected countries as well as a ban on poultry and poultry products on account of the H5N1 Avian influenza.

Some imports are restricted unless they meet certain conditions as specified in Appendix B of the Import Policy Order. These include prior approval or clearance, clearing testing arrangements and complying with certain procedural requirements (Appendix B, Part 2). While these are mainly for health, safety, security and environmental reasons, including requiring compliance with Euro-II emission standards for some imported second-hand vehicles and restricting the import of vehicles older than five years, a number of exemptions for other types of vehicles and importers continue to exist. For example, import of second-hand plant machinery by the construction, mining and petroleum sectors is allowed subject to prior certification by any of the pre-shipment inspection companies listed in Appendix D of the 2013 Import Policy Order.

Table A3. 6 List of items not importable in used/second-hand condition, 2012-15
Description
Vehicles of Chapter 87 (including likewise chassis of used automotive vehicles cut into minimum of two pieces whether or not described as steel scrap) except the following:
- dumpers designed for off-highway use in CBU condition having payload capacity exceeding five tonnes subject to certification by the competent Authority of exporting country or a recognized pre-shipment company listed in Appendix H to the effect that said machinery/transport equipment (a) is compliant with EURO-II emission standards, and (b) is in good working condition/ has a remaining productive life of five years (...)
- Mobile cranes/lorries (8705.1000) by industrial units subject to certification by the competent Authority of exporting country or a recognized pre-shipment company listed at Appendix H to the effect that said machinery/transport equipment (a) is compliant with Euro-II emission standards or not older than ten years, and (b) is in good working condition/has a remaining productive life of five years

(...) Pakistan has concluded eleven mutual recognition agreements with other countries and is included in the list of countries having equivalent status for accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories and certification bodies for Quality Management Systems (QMS), i.e. ISO-9000, and Environmental Management Systems (EMS), i.e. ISO-14000.

(…) Pakistan has ratified the Cartagena Protocol of Biosafety, which came into force in May 2009, and maintains a framework of handling Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). A maximum of 1,000 kilos of genetically modified (GM) seeds are allowed to be imported for research purposes only. (...)

Labelling of GMOs does not seem to rest on a clear legal framework at the federal level. The 18th constitutional Amendment placed the area of environment under the legal responsibility of provincial governments. A legal vacuum appears to exist in terms of who may issue regulations and licences in the area of GMOs. Under the Telecom Act 1996 (Section 29), no terminal equipment can be directly or indirectly connected with PSTN unless it has been type approved by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Type approval granted by PTA signifies that a particular telecommunication equipment is approved for general sale and is suitable to connect with a specific public telecommunication network. Under Type Approval Regulations, 2004 (amended in 2006) all approved equipment shall be marked distinctly labelling instructions in accordance with Section 22 of that same regulation.

Table 3.7 Active export-related SROs (Special Regulatory Orders)
1. SRO number: (I)/2010
Title and products covered: Imposing of regulatory duty at the rate of 25% ad valorem on export of waste and scrap of copper and aluminium and on bars, rods, ingots, slabs, and billets
Issue date: 13-03-2010

2. SRO number: 594(I)/2009
Title and products covered: Regulatory duty at the rate of 25% ad valorem levied on export of goods classifiable under the H.S. codes 78.02 (lead waste and scrap, 78.01 (unwrought lead), 78.06 (other articles of lead), 78.04 (lead plates etc.), 85.48 (waste and scrap of primary cells, batteries etc.)
Issue date: 25-06-2009
(...)
4. SRO number: 482(I)/2007
Title and products covered: Regulatory 25% duty on ferrous and non-ferrous waste and scrap
Issue date: 09-06-2007
(...)