ISLAMABAD – The Ministry Of Commerce has proposed significant amendments to Pakistan’s Barter Trade Mechanism (SRO 642(I)/2023) in order to facilitate barter trade with Iran, Afghanistan, and Russia. The draft of the proposals available with Wealth Pakistan was prepared following extensive consultations between the Ministry of Commerce and public private stakeholders, as well as subsequent deliberations with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), and the Pakistan Single Window (PSW), said a release issued by ‘Wealth Pakistan’ here on Friday.
The barter trade framework, launched on June 1, 2023, was designed to facilitate non-cash trade with neighbouring countries. According to the document, several key changes have been proposed to simplify the barter trade operations. The existing list of importable products specified in the SRO may be removed and aligned with the Import Policy Order/export Policy Order (2022).
The requirement of verification of sanctioned and non-sanctioned entities by Pakistan Missions or MoFA is expected to be replaced with self-undertakings from private entities, affirming compliance with UN and international sanctions. Additionally, the condition of “import followed by export” may be replaced with a more flexible “imports/exports” formula.
The amendments also allow private entities to form consortiums for barter trade, enabling two or more Pakistani firms to enter into contracts with foreign partners jointly. Traders will be required to net off the value of goods on a quarterly basis—within 120 days of transactions—under Customs’ regulatory oversight. To ensure safeguards, FBR has suggested that both Pakistani traders and foreign chambers of commerce provide undertakings confirming that contracting entities are not sanctioned. It has also proposed inserting a clause making all consortium members jointly and severally liable under the Customs Act, 1969, and the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1950.
While MoFA and SBP have conveyed concurrence on the revised framework, the PSW has pointed out that undertakings uploaded by traders on the WEBOC platform cannot be electronically validated, leaving Customs responsible for confirming the non-sanctioned status of entities. A revised draft notification, incorporating these recommendations, has already been vetted by the Law Division. The Ministry of Commerce has initiated the process for federal cabinet approval, after which an amended SRO will be issued to operationalise the reformed barter trade mechanism.
