KARACHI: Several importers including M/s Raja Steel approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) against wrong valuation of iron & steel products as secondary quality instead of prime quality.
On November 30, 2018, several importers filed separate petitions through their counsels and argued that they are regular importers of iron and steel products.
They submitted that they are engaged in import of prime quality iron & steel products which are covered/assessed under chapter 72 of Pakistan Customs Tariff under the relevant sub-chapter headings of “others” as opposed to secondary quality iron & steel products, which are specifically and expressly mentioned by their nomenclature i.e “secondary quality”.
Importers further argued that during the course of their business, the petitioners imported consignments of prime quality from China and have received import documents in respect, having arranged for the consideration to be paid against proper banking channel.
Counsels further stated that the petitioners’ prime quality goods whilst lying on the port or either being on their way and they have been informed that such consignments are to be assessed as those of “secondary quality” on account of directives as contained in the public notice no 03/2018, whereby the second respondent has issued the so-called “guidelines” for the purported purpose of streamlining and facilitating the determination of secondary quality iron & steel products with effect from 10/11/12018.
Citing Chief Collector Appraisement South, Collector of Customs Appraisement West and East as respondents, importers pleaded the court to declare that act of the respondents as illegal, mala fide and restrain them from taking any coercive action against it till final order in these petitions.
