Islamabad: Pakistan and China signed an agreement on Thursday to give selected agricultural and related products priority customs clearance at the Sost Khunjerab border.
According to an official announcement, the green channel will cover an agreed list of products. Eligible shipments will receive priority processing and examination, while customs authorities retain checks based on the assessed risk of each consignment.
The arrangement gives particular attention to perishable goods, providing for priority handling to minimise delays in their movement across the border. A green channel therefore means faster customs handling for qualifying shipments, rather than exemption from inspection.
The agreement also provides for the exchange of information and risk alerts between the two customs administrations.
Pakistan’s delegation was led by Federal Board of Revenue Member Customs Operations Syed Shakeel Shah. Li Qinghua, deputy head of Urumqi Customs and director of Tashkurgan Customs, headed the Chinese delegation during the online signing.
Representatives of Pakistan’s plant protection authorities, Pakistan Single Window and Ministry of Commerce also participated, alongside customs officials from Peshawar and Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistan’s commercial counsellor in China.
The Khunjerab crossing links Gilgit Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang region and carries imports and exports along the Karakoram Highway.
Pakistan Customs collected Rs 15 billion on imports through the crossing last year, while exports to China and Central Asian countries through the route were worth Rs 2.8 billion.
The announcement did not specify the products on the agreed list, a commencement date for priority clearance or a target processing time.
The Sost Khunjerab border corridor connects Pakistan's Gilgit Baltistan region with China's Xinjiang province along the Karakoram Highway (AH4 / G314).
