Govt slashes import duties on vehicles, food, other items

The federal government has announced a substantial reduction in regulatory duties on a wide range of imported goods including food items, vehicles, and other products.

The revised tax rates came into effect on July 1, according to a notification issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

President Asif Ali Zardari had assented to the Finance Bill 2025 on the advice of prime minister under Article 75 of the Constitution on June 30.

Following the president’s assent, the Finance Act 2025 was notified. On June 26, the National Assembly passed the Finance Bill, 2025 with certain amendments.

As per the notification, regulatory duty on mobile phone SIM cards has been reduced from 15% to 12%, while the duty on new cars and minivans has been cut by one-third, bringing it down to as low as 10%.

For imported SUVs, the duty has been slashed by 44% to stand at 50%, read the notification.

Similarly, in the food sector, regulatory duty on poultry and fish has been brought down to 5%. The duty on bird eggs has been reduced from 15% to 10% and pet food for cats and dogs now faces a 40% duty after a 5% reduction.

Moreover, tobacco products have seen a major duty reduction of up to 40%.

The federal government also slashed duties on figs, pineapples, avocados, guavas, and mangoes by 20%. Papayas and apples will now incur a 36% duty, down from 45%, read the notification.

Regulatory duty on general nuts has been slashed by 4%, and the duty on frozen fish has been halved to 17.5%. Imports of cheese and yogurt will now face a 50% duty following a 10% reduction, the notification stated.