KARACHI: Collectorate of Customs Port Mohammad Bin Qasim (PMBQ) has emerged as the top contributor in Pakistan’s customs duty collection, highlighting its strategic importance in the country’s import landscape.
According to official data compiled by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) from all customs collectorates, Port Qasim under Karachi Customs has maintained a consistent lead, collecting a staggering Rs198,077 million in 2019-20, Rs222,889 million in 2020-21, Rs321,958 million in 2021-22, Rs276,993 million in 2022-23, and Rs278,203 million in 2023-24. This sustained performance makes Port Qasim the highest single contributor to customs duty collection in Pakistan over the reviewed period.
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Overall, total net customs duty collection across Pakistan rose significantly, from Rs626,612 million in FY2019–20 to Rs1,104,066 million in FY2023–24—reflecting a robust 76% growth in five years. This rise underscores improved enforcement, economic recovery, and high-value imports contributing to higher duty inflows.
Among other top contributors, Karachi (East) posted strong figures in earlier years with a peak collection of Rs250,391 million in FY2021–22 but experienced a sharp decline to Rs119,787 million by FY2023–24. Similarly, Karachi (West) showed steady growth, with Rs180,792 million collected in the latest fiscal year compared to Rs96,362 million in FY2019–20.
The South Asia Pakistan Terminal (SAPT), a relatively new but fast-growing hub, recorded a dramatic rise in duty collection, from Rs37,569 million in FY2022–23 to Rs162,053 million in FY2023–24, reflecting its growing role in handling containerized imports.
Lahore and Islamabad-based collectorates, by contrast, showed more modest duty inflows. Lahore (Appraisement-East) posted Rs26,846 million in FY2023–24, while Islamabad managed Rs5,055 million in the same year. The newly active IIAP Islamabad collectorate reported Rs5,090 million in its debut year.
Frontier collectorates such as Peshawar (Appraisement) also showed encouraging trends, with a sharp rise from Rs6,796 million in FY2019–20 to Rs40,481 million in FY2023–24, suggesting improved trade documentation at border points.
While some collectorates such as Multan and Sambrial posted negative or negligible duty figures in recent years, overall the data reflects positive momentum in the national customs duty collection effort.
Experts attribute this performance to enhanced customs automation, increased import volume, better compliance, and targeted enforcement drives under the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). As customs duty collection remains a major revenue stream for Pakistan, Port Qasim’s continued dominance solidifies its role as the backbone of the country’s trade gateway.
