These directives were issued during a meeting held between Collector Customs Export Rizwan Mahmood and representatives of the Salt Manufacturers Association, led by its founding chairman Ismail Sattar.
Salt exporters and Customs officials agreed on concrete measures to resolve longstanding issues affecting the reputation of Pakistan’s salt industry in the global market. It was decided to immediately address the problem of damaged packaging upon arrival abroad, which was caused by improper re-sealing of containers at ports.
Authorities also directed that the practice of declaring exports under general trade codes be discontinued to prevent unnecessary and repeated examinations.
Association Chairperson Saima Akhtar, Senior Vice Chairman Asim Yaqoob Paracha and member Zohaib Akhtar told Customs officials that foreign buyers had expressed concern over consignments arriving with damaged packaging, primarily due to poor re-sealing after Customs inspections at ports.
Customs officials acknowledged the issue and confirmed that repeated inspections were also triggered by the submission of export declarations under incorrect HS codes, causing delays and complications.
Deputy Collector Usman Hameed Butt and Assistant Collector Asma Sikandar clarified that incorrect HS code declarations were a major reason behind repeated inspections.