ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have signed an agreement to operationalise a green channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border for agricultural and allied products to facilitate bilateral trade. The agreement was signed online between the customs administrations of the two countries at the Federal Board of Revenue ( FBR) on Thursday.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have signed an agreement to operationalise a green channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border for agricultural and allied products to facilitate bilateral trade. The agreement was signed online between the customs administrations of the two countries at the Federal Board of Revenue ( FBR) on Thursday.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have signed an agreement to operationalise a green channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border for agricultural and allied products to facilitate bilateral trade. The agreement was signed online between the customs administrations of the two countries at the Federal Board of Revenue ( FBR) on Thursday. Sources close to the matter say additional details are expected to emerge soon.
Context and History
The broader picture helps clarify the significance of what has unfolded.
The Pakistani delegation was led by Member Customs ( Operations) Syed Shakeel Shah, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Li Qinghua, deputy head of Urumqi Customs and director of Tashkurgan Customs.
According to an spokesperson announcement, the agreement aims to establish a green channel for an agreed list of agricultural products, allowing eligible consignments to undergo priority processing and examination even as maintaining risk-based customs controls.
It has also emerged that the arrangement moreover provides for enhanced information sharing and the exchange of risk alerts between the two customs administrations to strengthen coordination and improve cross-border trade management.
The agreement furthermore provides for enhanced exchange of information and risk alerts between the two customs administrations to strengthen coordination and improve the management of cross-border trade.
Reactions and Responses
A growing chorus of voices has emerged to analyze what this means.
It further envisages priority handling of perishable consignments to minimise delays and ensure their timely movement across the border.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter indicate that the Pakistani delegation also included the chief collector of customs, Peshawar; the collector of customs, Gilgit-Baltistan; representatives of the Department of Plant Protection, NAFSA, Pakistan Single Window and the Ministry of Commerce; and the commercial counsellor at the Pakistan embassy in China.
Alongside the primary story, the operationalisation of the green channel is expected to improve the efficiency of agricultural trade and strengthen customs cooperation between the two countries.
Observers have also noted that khunjerab Pass connects Gilgit-Baltistan with China ’ s Xinjiang region and is the highest paved international border at 15,500 feet above sea level.
Policy Implications
Beyond the immediate headlines, this development could reshape how the issue is handled.
Under the border protocol agreement signed between the two countries in 1985, the pass remains open for travel and trade between April and November.
Observers have also noted that in winter, trade and travel are hampered by excessive snowfall.
Of particular significance is the fact that last year, Pakistan Customs collected Rs15 billion in revenue on imports from China through the Khunjerab Pass, breaking the previous record.
Adding further dimension to the story, goods worth Rs2.8bn were also exported to China and Central Asian countries through the border crossing.
The Road Ahead
As the full scope of these developments becomes clear, questions about what comes next remain at the forefront. Officials and analysts agree that the situation warrants continued close attention.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have signed an agreement to operationalise a green channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border for agricultural and allied products to facilitate bilateral trade. The agreement was signed online between the customs administrations of the two countries at the Federal Board of Revenue ( FBR) on Thursday. Sources close to the matter say additional details are expected to emerge soon.
Context and History
The broader picture helps clarify the significance of what has unfolded.
The Pakistani delegation was led by Member Customs ( Operations) Syed Shakeel Shah, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Li Qinghua, deputy head of Urumqi Customs and director of Tashkurgan Customs.
According to an spokesperson announcement, the agreement aims to establish a green channel for an agreed list of agricultural products, allowing eligible consignments to undergo priority processing and examination even as maintaining risk-based customs controls.
It has also emerged that the arrangement moreover provides for enhanced information sharing and the exchange of risk alerts between the two customs administrations to strengthen coordination and improve cross-border trade management.
The agreement furthermore provides for enhanced exchange of information and risk alerts between the two customs administrations to strengthen coordination and improve the management of cross-border trade.
Reactions and Responses
A growing chorus of voices has emerged to analyze what this means.
It further envisages priority handling of perishable consignments to minimise delays and ensure their timely movement across the border.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter indicate that the Pakistani delegation also included the chief collector of customs, Peshawar; the collector of customs, Gilgit-Baltistan; representatives of the Department of Plant Protection, NAFSA, Pakistan Single Window and the Ministry of Commerce; and the commercial counsellor at the Pakistan embassy in China.
Alongside the primary story, the operationalisation of the green channel is expected to improve the efficiency of agricultural trade and strengthen customs cooperation between the two countries.
Observers have also noted that khunjerab Pass connects Gilgit-Baltistan with China ’ s Xinjiang region and is the highest paved international border at 15,500 feet above sea level.
Policy Implications
Beyond the immediate headlines, this development could reshape how the issue is handled.
Under the border protocol agreement signed between the two countries in 1985, the pass remains open for travel and trade between April and November.
Observers have also noted that in winter, trade and travel are hampered by excessive snowfall.
Of particular significance is the fact that last year, Pakistan Customs collected Rs15 billion in revenue on imports from China through the Khunjerab Pass, breaking the previous record.
Adding further dimension to the story, goods worth Rs2.8bn were also exported to China and Central Asian countries through the border crossing.
The Road Ahead
As the full scope of these developments becomes clear, questions about what comes next remain at the forefront. Officials and analysts agree that the situation warrants continued close attention.
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