KARACHI: As per directions of the ECC/Cabinet, Tariff Policy Board (TPB) constituted under National Tariff Policy, 2019-24 having representation of all stakeholders i.e. Minister for Industries & Production, Chairman FBR, Secretary Finance, Secretary BoI and Secretary Commerce, and chaired by the Federal Minister for Commerce, is considering the issue of imposition of RDs on all non-essential items removed from the banned list of import.
FBR has submitted the proposal of imposing or enhancing RD on the non-essential items on total 881 Tariff lines pertaining to banned items under SRO i.e. 598(I)/2022 (Now 892 Tariff lines after transposition of HS 2022).
Federal Government vide SRO 598(I)/2022 dated 19-05-2022 amended Import Policy Order 2022 imposing ban on non-essential and luxury items.
Subsequently, ECC of the Cabinet vide case No. ECC/24/2022 dated 28-08-2022 on the summary submitted by the Ministry of Commerce regarding “Prohibition/Complete Quantitative Restrictions on Import of Non-Essential and Luxury Items” approved lifting of ban imposed vide SRO 598(I)/2022 and also directed Tariff Policy Board to consider imposition of Regulatory Duties (RD) on non-essential items and submit summary to the Federal Cabinet.
According to the decision:
59 Tariff lines pertain to Home Appliance, 49 TL pertain to Auto CBUs, 02 TLs pertain to Mobile phones (CBUs) and 782 TL pertain to different categories of non-essential / luxury items
8 tariff lines of Auto CBUs and 12 tariff lines pertaining to different categories of Home appliances are subject to 0% RD
Out of 782 tariff lines pertaining to non-essential items, 159 tariff lines are subject to 0% RD, whereas the remaining tariff lines are subject to RD range of 5% – 60%. Moreover, 142 tariff lines are already at the maximum bound rates of WTO.