The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to bar travellers coming from abroad from bringing any goods beyond $1,200 in value, it emerged on Monday.

An FBR notification dated December 6, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, proposed changes in the Baggage Rules, 2006, under Section 219 of the Customs Act, 1969.

It changed the definition of “commercial quantity” in the rules from a quantity of goods imported prima facie for trading or pecuniary gain and not for personal use or gift and imposed a value limit of $1,200.

It also defined the commercial quantity for mobile phones as the “quantity exceeding one phone other than the one in personal use of the passenger”.

Regarding penalties for those bringing in the commercial quantity of goods, the notification said the goods would not be released even on payment of duty, taxes and redemption fine.

The notification said that any objections or suggestions to the FBR for consideration should be sent within seven days of the notification’s publication in the official Gazette.

Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Following through
Updated 09 Apr, 2025

Following through

Reconciliation, development, and deradicalisation initiatives cannot remain dormant words in a policy document.
Robe rebellion
09 Apr, 2025

Robe rebellion

THE unrest within the Islamabad High Court shows no sign of abating, and it is perhaps just as well that the ...
Fearing birth
09 Apr, 2025

Fearing birth

AMID dramatic aid cuts, the WHO has sounded the alarm about the dangers to Pakistan’s mothers and newborns, asking...
Meltdown
08 Apr, 2025

Meltdown

A full-blown trade war is upon us as the era of the rules-based, multilateral trading order is nearly over.
Settling differences
Updated 08 Apr, 2025

Settling differences

Unless there is a broad agreement on the path forward, the country will remain trapped in a cycle of recurring instability.
Glacial ingenuity
08 Apr, 2025

Glacial ingenuity

NECESSITY is indeed the mother of invention, as witnessed in Gilgit-Baltistan. In these areas, where climate change...