Pakistan Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in pakistan, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Trade Financing
Last published date:

Imports of goods into Pakistan generally require a Letter of Credit (L/C) unless a special exemption is obtained in advance. Revolving, transferable, and packing letters of credit are not permissible.  In general, letters of credit should provide for the negotiation of documents within a period not exceeding 30 days from the date of shipment. 

Since 2022, during the economic downturn in Pakistan, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has been allowing the import of goods as a temporary arrangement for outward payment in order to provide support to the balance of payment.

  • Imports on deferred of beyond 365 days from the date of shipment, preferably from parents/sister concerns of the importers.
  • Imports funded by foreign exchange available with the importers raised through equity or project loan/import loan from abroad, in accordance with applicable Foreign Exchange Regulations.


Payment to the beneficiary (stipulated in the L/C) may be made either in the country of origin or in the country of shipment of goods.  Other payment terms are subject to approval by the SBP. Remittances may be made soon after goods have been cleared by Customs.Pakistan Customs authorities require a commercial invoice and a bill of lading (or airway bill). Exporters should forward documents separately if the shipment is by sea but should include them with air shipments. Until recently, “Certificates of Origin” were not legally required but recently there have been cases where the Customs authorities have asked for it.  Also, a statement of country of origin should appear on the invoice.  Consular invoices are not required.

The exporter should also be sure to ascertain from the importer the precise number of copies of each document that will be required.  Importers, depending on the specific circumstances as insurance certificates and packing lists, also may request other documents.  Customs authorities require special certificates for imports of plants and plant products and used clothing (e.g., a U.S. Food and Drug Administration certificate for foods and pharmaceuticals). In order to expedite the process and avoid potential delays and penalties, exporters should request detailed instructions from the Pakistani importer before shipping.

For information about the methods of payment or other trade finance options, please read the Trade Finance Guide.

To access Pakistan’s ICS section on financing, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility