ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has slashed customs duty on import of a range of raw materials used in the manufacturing of farm and chemical products.

The decision was announced through a customs notification SRO 42 issued here on Thursday by amending the SRO 565 of 2006.

The import of copper cathode and aluminium ingots were exempted from customs duty. However, duty was reduced to 10 per cent on ethyl alcohol.

The customs duty has been reduced to zero per cent on 14 raw materials used in manufacturing of technical grade emamectin benzoate (registered by the department of plant protection under the Agricultural Pesticides Ordinance, 1971):

These include diatomite, phosphoric acid (H3P04), sodium borohydride (NaBHB), dichoromethane (methylene chloride), Allylchloroformate (esters of acrylic acid), trifluroacetic acid, palladium, isopropyl acetate, benzoic acid, phenyl dichlorophosphate, dimethyl sulfoxide, tetramethylethylene diamine, heptamethyl disilazane and 1-methyl propyl-25-1- methylavermectin.

For the gypsum board, the customs duty on raw materials has been slashed down to 10 per cent on the raw materials including gypsum board paper, glue: adhesives based on polymers or rubbers, screen adhesive, other surface active agent: (foaming agent), surface active agents, plastic film (shrinkable), polyester base film/ polyester film-uncoated, and BOPP film (metalized capacitor grade).

The customs duty has been reduced to zero per cent on raw materials used in lead glass tubing. These include led silicate, potassium nitrate, potassium carbonate, borax and aluminium hydro oxide.

The customs duty is reduced to 10 per cent on 16 raw materials used in scratch or magnetic strip cards (PVC in sheet form): PVC EVC with magstrip – HiCO, PVC EVC with magstrip – LoCo, PVC EVC without magstrip HiCO, rigtid PVC, PVC sheets, PVC magstrip – HiCO, PVC overlay 50 micron, paper board, (scratch labels): silver labels, PLFW401, PLNC1, grey scratch of panel, (pet roll laminates): entreoise lamination,(polish guard, inks): graphicard gold, graphicard dazzling silver.