KARACHI: Pakistan customs Wednesday directed the officials to prevent import of products resulting in rapid depletion of ozone layer.

The customs authorities circulated a fresh list of the most common Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) containing revised Harmonised System (HS) codes, which are implemented from January 1, 2012. While the customs officials also informed about non-ozone depleting substances, most popular refrigerants trade names and danger symbols.

Pakistan customs is taking initiatives under ‘Green Customs’ jointly launched by World Customs Organisation and United Nation Environment Protection (UNEP) with the project name ‘Sky-Hole Patching II”, which had resulted in seizure of thousands cylinders of smuggled ozone depleting substances.

The directorate general of intelligence and investigation, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in November 2010, had issued the similar alert for customs officials informing the joint initiative of WCO/UNEP.

The global initiative resulted in the confiscation of more than 7,500 cylinders of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons), and other ozone depleting substances, according to FBR alert.

According to the list circulated by the customs the countries have been identified that are producing ODS. The list said that China, India and Russian Federation are producing chloroflurocarbons (CFCs). The other products namely Halons and Carbon tetrachloride are being produced countries including, China, Republic of Korea and Japan.

The leading ODS agent HCFCs is mainly produces in countries Argentina, Canada, China, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Spain, United States of America and Venezuela.

The list highlighted most popular refrigerants trade names included: arcton, asahifron, asahiklin, forane, Freon, genetron, isceon, solkane, suva, floron.