Staff Correspondent

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has officially scrapped the mandatory 100 percent physical inspection of all imported goods from Pakistan, a decision aimed at expediting customs clearance and improving trade efficiency.

In a letter issued on Monday to customs houses across Bangladesh, the NBR announced the change, explaining that the previous policy, which mandated manual inspections for all consignments from Pakistan under the National Selectivity Criteria of the ASYCUDA World system, was no longer necessary.

The letter noted that customs officials at the Assistant and Deputy Commissioner levels had been spending significant time clearing shipments through the "Red Lane"—a high-risk classification that requires both documentary review and physical inspection. However, it acknowledged that these inspections had yielded no significant findings.

Given the absence of meaningful results from the physical examinations, the Dhaka Customs House proposed excluding goods from Pakistan from the National Selectivity Criteria, the letter says.

Under the ASYCUDA World system, shipments are categorized based on risk levels. Low-risk consignments pass through the "Green Lane," which requires no inspections, while moderate-risk goods enter the "Yellow Lane" for document review only. High-risk goods are directed to the "Red Lane" for thorough inspection.

With the new directive, Pakistan’s imports will no longer be automatically classified as high-risk. Instead, customs officials will implement a Product-Based Risk Management system under the Local Criteria, allowing more flexibility in handling Pakistani imports.

Customs Houses will now develop their own risk management strategies for imports from Pakistan, based on the local criteria and prevailing risks, the NBR letter added.

Major Imports from Pakistan

Bangladesh imports a wide range of products from Pakistan, including cotton, yarn, chemicals, wheat, plastic materials, leather, and petroleum products. Other notable imports include food items such as baby food, rice, and fruits, as well as surgical equipment and electric fans. The removal of mandatory inspections is expected to benefit businesses importing these goods, reducing delays and potentially lowering costs.