Pakistan and China have signed an agreement to introduce a green channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border crossing, aiming to facilitate agricultural trade, speed up customs clearance and improve coordination between the two countries.
The agreement was signed virtually on Thursday between the customs administrations of both countries at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Pakistan’s delegation was led by Member Customs (Operations) Syed Shakeel Shah, while the Chinese side was headed by Li Qinghua, deputy head of Urumqi Customs and director of Tashkurgan Customs.
According to an official announcement, the arrangement will establish a dedicated green channel for a mutually agreed list of agricultural products. Eligible consignments will receive priority processing and inspection while remaining subject to risk-based customs checks.
The agreement also предусматриates improved information sharing and the exchange of risk alerts between the two customs authorities. The measures are intended to strengthen cooperation, improve border management and facilitate the movement of goods between the neighbouring countries.
Special arrangements will also be made to prioritise perishable consignments, helping reduce delays and ensure that agricultural products cross the border in a timely manner.
Pakistan’s delegation included the chief collector of customs in Peshawar, the collector of customs for Gilgit-Baltistan, and representatives from the Department of Plant Protection, NAFSA, Pakistan Single Window and the Ministry of Commerce. The commercial counsellor at Pakistan’s embassy in China was also part of the delegation.
The launch of the green channel is expected to make agricultural trade more efficient while deepening customs cooperation between Pakistan and China.
Khunjerab Pass connects Gilgit-Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang region and stands approximately 15,500 feet above sea level, making it the world’s highest paved international border crossing.
Under a border protocol agreement signed by Pakistan and China in 1985, the crossing generally remains open for travel and trade from April to November. During winter, heavy snowfall frequently disrupts movement and commercial activity.
Pakistan Customs collected a record Rs15 billion in revenue from imports arriving from China through the Khunjerab Pass last year. Exports worth Rs2.8 billion were also transported through the crossing to China and Central Asian countries.
