ISLAMABAD, June 20: The government has introduced similar tariff lines and description for both importable and exportable products under the Pakistan Customs Tariff for regulating and facilitating the trading regime. A senior customs official told Dawn on Monday that earlier the government had placed all most all importable items with HS codes in the schedule I and only 25 exportable items were placed in the schedule II of the customs act.

The limited number of exportable products in the schedule II and absence of any HS code with these products had created problems for customs officials in documentation.

The government has now placed all importable and exportable items under one schedule with a similar tariff line, the official said and added that the schedule II had been abolished from the customs act, subsequently.

The official pointed out that under the tariff rationalization process, total customs tariff lines had been increased to 6,315 from the existing 6,232.

Out of 6,315 tariff lines, the government has levied a five per cent customs duty on 2,479 tariff lines as against the previous 1,503; 10 per cent duty on 864 tariff lines from the previous 1,450; and 15 per cent duty on 200 tariff lines.

The 25 per cent duty tariff lines have been reduced to 1,543 tariff lines from the existing 2,147; 20 per cent duty on 821 tariff lines; 14 per cent duty on 150 tariff lines.

The tariff lines of specific duties have been increased from 44 to 48 tariff lines; three per cent duty on one tariff line; 6.5 per cent on 14 tariff lines; seven per cent duty on 56 tariff lines; 30 per cent on 12 tariff lines; 35 per cent on 85 tariff lines, 45 per cent on two tariff lines, 50 per cent on eight tariff lines; 60 per cent on 20 tariff lines; 65 per cent on four tariff lines; 75 per cent on seven tariff lines; 90 per cent on 13 tariff lines; and the highest duty of 100 per cent only on 16 tariff lines.