ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Customs has launched the first export from the Karachi Export Processing Zone to Kyrgyzstan via the land route under the TIR regime, opening a new corridor to Central Asia via Sost Dry Port, China.

The consignment, valued at $59,314 and weighing 23.9 tonnes, contained assorted oil, tea, henna, herbs, cream, and soap from Hemani Group. It was cleared electronically through the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) system after activating EPZ as a TIR [Transports Internationaux Routiers) station.

An official announcement of the Federal Board of Revenue said the directorate general of Transit Trade, Karachi, led the upgrade of customs systems in coordination with PSW, TIR operators, PNCC-ICC, and the IRU. All formalities, including electronic pre-declarations, were completed for smooth transit.

This move enhances regional connectivity and gives EPZ exporters direct access to Central Asian markets, boosting Pakistan’s trade outreach.

The government has recently notified six transit routes through Iran, expanding options for regional trade. Pakistani exporters are already using this corridor to ship goods such as rice, kinno and potatoes to Central Asian states as an alternative route.

Pakistan had traditionally relied on the Chaman and Torkham border crossings for overland access to Central Asia via Afghanistan. However, these routes have remained closed since October 2025 due to rising security concerns and cross border militancy.

As a result, border stations with Afghanistan have been shut for all categories of trade, including transit to Central Asian markets. With these disruptions, exporters have been left with limited choices and are increasingly routing shipments through Iran to access Central Asia, as well as markets in Azerbaijan, Russia, via China the Sost border Kyrgyzstan corridor.

Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan met with the Tajikistan Ambassador, Sharifzoda Yusuf Toir, to discuss measures to enhance bilateral trade, strengthen transit connectivity, and deepen institutional cooperation between Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2026