ISLAMABAD: The government has restricted the import of chloroform due to its excessive use, which poses serious health and environmental risks.
In this regard, the Ministry of Commerce has issued a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO), stating that in Appendix-B, Part-II of the Import Policy Order, after serial number 37, a new entry has been inserted as serial number 38. Under the new provision, PCT code 2903.1300 (Trichloromethane/Chloroform) shall be importable only by pharmaceutical companies/sectors, subject to obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the Pakistan Footwear Manufacturers Association (PFMA) and the Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) had approached the ministry seeking a ban on the import of chloroform, stating that it is widely used as an adhesive in the footwear industry and poses serious health and environmental hazards.
Following the request, the Ministry of Commerce held consultations with relevant stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP), Ministry of Climate Change, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, DRAP, and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Broadly, all stakeholders supported imposing a ban on the import of chloroform.
READ MORE: PFMA, PCMA seek action: Govt decides to ban import of chloroform
However, DRAP maintained that chloroform is an essential laboratory reagent and is used for quality control testing in pharmaceutical manufacturing. DRAP cautioned that a complete ban would not be viable, as it could compromise pharmaceutical quality assurance.
The matter was also taken up by the Ministry of Climate Change, which convened a consultative meeting involving public and private sector stakeholders. During the consultations, it was recommended that the import of chloroform falling under PCT 2903.1300 should be restricted, subject to the allocation of quotas to pharmaceutical users and issuance of NOCs by DRAP.
Based on stakeholder consultations, the Ministry of Commerce proposed amending Appendix-B, Part-II of the Import Policy Order, 2022, which deals with procedural requirements, by inserting an additional PCT code along with commodity description and conditions. The proposal stated that “Trichloromethane (Chloroform) falling under PCT heading 2903.1300 shall be importable only by pharmaceutical companies/sectors, subject to obtaining an NOC from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).”
The proposal was subsequently approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and later endorsed by the Federal Cabinet.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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