Islamabad, Dec 8: The Pakistani government will permit the admission of vehicles registered in Azerbaijan that are carrying transit and bilateral commerce goods into Pakistan. In accordance with the Azerbaijan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, 2024, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued SRO.2016(I)/2024 to notify the draft Azerbaijan-Pakistan Transit Trade Rules 2024 for the processing of transit trade cargo to and from Azerbaijan via the designated ports under the Customs Computerized System.
It will cover the cargo that Azerbaijan imports via Karachi, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim, and Gwadar ports as well as the cargo that Azerbaijan exports to other nations via these same ports. According to the regulations, vehicles registered in Azerbaijan with valid permits and used for transit and bilateral trade cargo can enter Pakistan without requiring the two Contracting Parties to submit any financial security for the duty and taxes owed on the vehicle. This is based on reciprocity.
According to the regulations, all shipping companies and customs clearing agents who handle transit cargo must open and keep a “Revolving Insurance Guarantee PD Account” with Customs. The Directorate General Reforms and Automation, Karachi, will create one or more user IDs for the point of contact of the relevant Ministry of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the new regulations to register various user groups, such as traders, government agencies.
Azerbaijani diplomatic missions or the United Nations (UN) using the Customs Computerized System (CCS). Foreign entities, such as traders, government agencies, the United Nations (UN), or diplomatic missions, must fill out the necessary registration proforma, which the relevant Ministry of Azerbaijan will electronically file in the Customs Computerized System.
The Contracting Parties’ competent authorities must grant licenses to the vehicles carrying transit and bilateral commodities so that they can operate as transport operators permitted to carry out international transportation.
Every vehicle entering or leaving Pakistan must have a valid permit in the format specified by the appropriate authority. The Directorate of Transit Trade in Peshawar, Quetta, and Gwadar will issue and regulate permits at each land border customs station.
According to the new rules, companies approved by the FBR must install a GPS tracking device on the front cabin or door of the vehicle for tracking purposes if the transit goods are being transported by foreign registered vehicles and the prime mover does not have a tracker that can be synchronized with the tracking device installed on containers.
