KARACHI: Used clothing importers and clearing agent Humayun Khan and Naeem Khan said smuggling of high value and banned goods under the garb of used clothing had started again.
Various items including electronics and other goods were being smuggled, therefore Customs changed the status of used clothing to Red from Green earlier.
Due to this surge in smuggling genuine importers of used clothing were troubled and demanded that it should be put back to full examination.
They said large quantity of goods were smuggled through TP replacement and used clothing, and there was no need of border smuggling after that.
Soon after the government imposed an import ban on several finished goods, there has been a significant surge in smuggling, as well as resurgence of transshipment cargo replacement. The foreign exchange starved country is taking harsh measures to arrest the widening current account as well as trade deficit including ban on certain imports.
The import ban has failed to stop the influx of the very goods, which are now been smuggled into the country. However, in this practice, the burden is not on country’s official forex reserves. Smuggling is not always in US dollars, it is in local currency as well as barter. The clans inhibited across the border have equal influence and relations in the bordering countries as they have in Pakistan.