ISLAMABAD: The government is considering making special arrangements and structural interventions for the facilitation of export and import cargoes amid war-related challenges.

These measures were reportedly finalised by the Federal Board of Rev­enue and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs over the past two days and would likely be formally annou­nced within this week.

At a meeting of the sta­keholders, including various import and export sectors and shipping agents, presided over by the maritime minister, structural interventions have been agreed upon to enable a fundamental shift in efficiency, transparency, and predictability across Pakistan’s maritime and export and import supply chain ecosystem.

These include the establishment of a Centralised Monitoring and Response Unit (CMRU) — a dedicated, data-driven unit — to monitor import and export cargo flows through the Pakistan Single Window (PSW). This unit would function as a real-time control tower to identify bottlenecks across ports, terminals, shipping lines, and transshipment hubs. The unit would proactively coordinate with relevant stakeholders for swift resolution, ensuring uninterrupted cargo movement and minimising systemic inefficiencies.

Secondly, comprehensive service-level benchmarks would be defined across the maritime trade chain, covering ports, terminal operators, shipping lines, and allied service providers. These standards would be aligned with international best practices to ensure predictability, reduce dwell time, and improve Pakis­tan’s competitiveness in global trade.

Moreover, advance ma­­nifest filing would be made mandatory for all shipping lines to enhance planning, transparency, and operational efficie­n­­cy. A transition period of three weeks would be provided, followed by no­­tifi­cation for mandatory compliance by ship­pers and strict enfor­cement thereafter.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2026