Transport of customs-bonded cargo resumes as progress made on SOPs for transit trade

KARACHI: The transportation of customs-bonded cargo from the country’s ports resumed on Monday, following some progress on the issue of customs regulations for tracking and escorting transit and transshipment cargo.

According to sources in the bonded carrier and logistics sectors, the Customs Bonded Carrier Association and the customs department held talks regarding the new customs standard operating procedures (SOPs) for transit trade. The discussions followed a meeting between the All Pakistan Customs Bonded Carrier Association, led by its Chairman Shams Burney, and the director-general of Transit Trade to address the issue, which had nearly halted the transportation of customs-bonded cargo from the ports.

Sources said that the rules had been relaxed to some extent to facilitate the movement of transit cargo. As a result, the transport sector has begun providing vehicles for the transit trade, which had almost come to a standstill last week due to the new SOPs. The rule regarding convoys of 14-15 vehicles accompanied by three sepoys has been relaxed to a 10-vehicle convoy.

Shams Burney told The News that the issue would be resolved before his meeting.“There is no major issue; there are just some minor concerns with the new SOPs, and they will be resolved soon,” DG Transit Trade Mohsin Rafiq told The News over the phone when contacted.

According to a customs department notification, the new SOPs specify designated routes and deployment plans for the en-route escorts of transit and transshipment cargo. “These SOPs aim to streamline the escorting process, ensuring the safety and timely delivery of transit and TP cargo across various routes. The deployment of sepoys is carefully planned to accommodate rest periods, ensuring their readiness for subsequent duties,” the notification stated.

Earlier, bonded carriers had expressed concerns over the new SOPs, which had halted the transportation of customs-bonded cargo from the ports in the country to dry ports and Afghanistan under the transit trade.

“We express our concern regarding the partial implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued via Office Order No 94 of 2024, dated 27th December 2024, for the movement of bonded cargo under the Tracking and Monitoring of Cargo Rules, 2023. As per the notification, while the installation of permanent monitoring devices (PMD) is emphasised and made mandatory, the requirement to install container security devices (CSD) has been deferred ‘until made available,’” the All Pakistan Customs Bonded Carriers Association said in a letter to the Director General of Transit Trade Customs.

The association noted that the SOPs and rules place the primary responsibility on the Directorate of Transit Trade to ensure compliance with all stipulated provisions. It expressed concern that the delay in CSD installation creates gaps in the enforcement system, leaving stakeholders vulnerable to potential losses, theft and liabilities. This, it said, contradicts the very objectives of the tracking and monitoring rules, which are meant to ensure the safety, integrity and accountability of bonded cargo during transit.