Pakistan, China sign agreement to operationalise green channel at Sost-Khunjerab border

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China inked a pact on Thursday to activate a green channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border, streamlining the import of agricultural and allied goods for bilateral trade. The agreement was forged online between the customs offices of both nations at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The Pakistani team was headed by Syed Shakeel Shah, Member Customs (Operations), while the Chinese side was led by Li Qinghua, deputy head of Urumqi Customs and director of Tashkurgan Customs.

The pact aims to establish a green channel for a pre-approved list of agricultural products, enabling priority processing and examination while retaining risk-based customs controls. Enhanced information sharing and exchange of risk alerts between the customs administrations are also part of the deal to bolster coordination and optimize cross-border trade management.

The agreement also prioritizes the handling of perishable consignments to minimize delays and ensure timely movement of goods across the border. Delegations from the Pakistani customs, Peshawar, Gilgit-Baltistan, the Department of Plant Protection, NAFSA, Pakistan Single Window, and the Ministry of Commerce, along with the commercial counsellor from the Pakistan embassy in China, participated in the online signing.

The Khunjerab Pass, which links Gilgit-Baltistan with China's Xinjiang region and stands as the highest paved international border at 15,500 feet above sea level, remains open for travel and trade from April to November under the 1985 border protocol agreement between the two countries. In winter, snowfall often impedes trade and travel.

Last year, Pakistan Customs generated Rs15 billion in revenue from imports from China via the Khunjerab Pass, surpassing the previous record. The trade also saw exports of goods worth Rs2.8 billion to China and Central Asian countries through the border crossing.