PAKISTAN: Pre-Arrival Air-Freight Customs Clearance System Begins Trial

Pakistan Customs is trialing Clearance in the Sky, a new pre-arrival clearance facility for imported air cargo. Soft-launched on 3 February, the system is intended to reduce clearance time, facilitate trade and streamline supply chain management and works by providing the Customs department with details of goods soon after an international flight departs for Pakistan. This means that, prior to landing, any cargo should have already received clearance for delivery to importers or other recipients. Importers then just need to present the text message sent to them by the system to have their goods released. 

The system also provides information on the exact location of goods and details of when these are ready for physical delivery at airports. At present, the trial phase of the project is restricted to clearing the cargo of 12 commercial importers, manufacturers and exporters in the country’s pharmaceutical and textile industries. It solely operates at Karachi airport and only covers cargo conveyed by Qatar Airways. Over the coming weeks, it will be extended to 16 additional airlines, a range of new sectors and all of the country’s international airports.