Pakistan and China have signed an agreement to operationalise a green channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border for agricultural and allied products, aimed at facilitating bilateral trade.
The customs administrations of the two countries signed the agreement online on Thursday at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Member Customs (Operations) Syed Shakeel Shah led the Pakistani delegation. Li Qinghua, deputy head of Urumqi Customs and director of Tashkurgan Customs, headed the Chinese side.
Under the agreement, eligible consignments from an agreed list of agricultural products will receive priority processing and examination, while risk-based customs controls remain in place. Perishable consignments will also receive priority handling to minimise delays and ensure timely movement across the border.
The two customs administrations will also enhance information sharing and exchange risk alerts to strengthen coordination and improve cross-border trade management.
The Pakistani delegation also included the chief collector of customs, Peshawar; the collector of customs, Gilgit-Baltistan; representatives of the Department of Plant Protection, NAFSA, Pakistan Single Window and the Ministry of Commerce; and the commercial counsellor at the Pakistan embassy in China.
The green channel is expected to improve the efficiency of agricultural trade and strengthen customs cooperation between the two countries.
Khunjerab Pass connects Gilgit-Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang region and stands at 15,500 feet above sea level, making it the highest paved international border crossing. Under the 1985 border protocol agreement, the pass remains open for travel and trade between April and November. Heavy snowfall hampers trade and travel in winter.
Last year, Pakistan Customs collected Rs15 billion in revenue on imports from China through the pass, a record. Goods worth Rs2.8 billion were also exported to China and Central Asian countries through the crossing.
