Customs rejects under-invoicing claims

Pakistan Customs has rejected the idea that mismatches in mirror trade data amount to proof of under-invoicing, saying such gaps require reconciliation and verification first. The Express Tribune reported that the department made the remarks on Tuesday in response to media claims about alleged import fraud involving Chinese goods.

Customs said trade figures that Pakistan and China reported to the International Trade Centre (ITC) had been examined in detail. Such comparisons set China's export figures against Pakistan's import figures, which differ in collection and compilation practices across countries, so they have built-in limits; after reconciliation, a 32% gap recorded in 2023 narrowed to 0.54%. The Federal Board of Revenue, or FBR, has also introduced corrective steps to improve data reporting, which has applied since July 2026.

Customs valuation work gives priority to concerns from local manufacturers in textiles, steel, chemicals, tyres, stationery, dyes, plastics, glass, light engineering and automotive vendors. The Karachi-based directorate has issued valuation rulings citing the 25A provision in the Customs Act, 1969, and these cover various yarns and fabrics, using international price publications and consultation with industry associations. The polyester filament yarn ruling has been revised to match global market trends, and fresh reviews are underway for mink yarn, cotton yarn and other textile items.