ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Pakistan Customs, an institution under the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), has achieved a major breakthrough by enforcing shipping charges in accordance with official bank exchange rates for the shipping industry.
According to the FBR, the implementation of shipping charges based on authorized bank exchange rates has effectively ended the long-standing practice of arbitrary and excessive billing by international shipping lines.
The All Pakistan Shipping Association formally confirmed in writing on January 12, 2026, that all its member shipping lines are now charging shipping fees strictly on the basis of exchange rates provided by their respective authorized commercial banks, in line with State Bank of Pakistan regulations.
This development is the result of sustained efforts by a high-level committee constituted by Pakistan Customs, which held extensive consultations with shipping agents, terminal operators, trade bodies and international shipping lines.
Maersk, the largest shipping line operating in Pakistan and handling around 26 percent of the country’s total cargo, has already implemented official bank exchange rates, setting a benchmark for the entire shipping industry.
Other major international shipping lines and their local agents have also submitted written confirmations of compliance, stating that the State Bank of Pakistan’s exchange rates are being fully implemented across the industry.
For years, traders and exporters had raised serious concerns over the application of inflated and arbitrary dollar exchange rates by shipping lines, often far higher than those announced by the State Bank, resulting in increased business costs, reduced export competitiveness and uncertainty in shipping charges.
The move is expected to significantly ease cost pressures on traders and exporters, ensure transparency in shipping charges and help restore confidence within the business community.