ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to revamp the National Tariff Commission (NTC) to modernise the institution and ensure a robust and responsive trade-remedy regime beyond reliance on anti-dumping measures alone, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
The revamping plan was discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) held on January 9, 2026, under the chairmanship of Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar.
The Commerce Division informed the CCLC that the National Tariff Commission, established under the National Tariff Commission Act, 2015, is Pakistan’s statutory trade remedies authority mandated to conduct quasi-judicial investigations into dumping, subsidised imports, and sudden surge in imports that injure domestic industry.
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In practice; however, the NTC has relied predominantly on anti-dumping measures, with limited use of countervailing and safeguard instruments.
It was further stated that with tariff reductions under the National Tariff Policy 2025 and Pakistan’s international obligations, weaknesses in the NTC’s legal and institutional framework had become evident. This led to the constitution of a review committee under Dr Manzoor Ahmad, followed by a high-powered committee chaired by the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination to consider the committee’s report and propose a comprehensive modernization plan for the NTC.
The Commerce Division further apprised the CCLC that the high-powered committee held eight meetings in November and December 2025, deliberating on various aspects of the issue. It noted that tariff liberalization under the National Tariff Policy 2025–30 has heightened domestic industry’s exposure to import surges, making it imperative to modernize the NTC to ensure a robust and responsive trade-remedy regime beyond anti-dumping alone.
The committee emphasized that transforming the NTC into a modern and credible trade remedies authority was essential, noting that the requirement for the Commission to act as a collective body, coupled with administrative and financial constraints, impedes timely investigations and determinations. It therefore recommended strengthening the NTC’s legal and quasi-judicial capacity through key reforms, including increasing the number of members from five to seven in view of the increased workload.
Other proposed amendments include changes to the requisite qualifications for members, as well as provisions regarding the appointment or designation of the Chairman in the event the position becomes vacant due to retirement, resignation, death, or other reasons.
It was further stated that these reform measures, supported by enhanced technical capacity, data-driven monitoring of trade trends, and improved inter-agency coordination, were considered essential to ensure due process, WTO compliance, and an efficient, future-ready NTC.
The Commerce Division informed the CCLC that to advance the reform process the proposed amendments to the NTC Act—drafted as the National Tariff Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026 were shared with the Law and Justice Division for review and vetting. The vetted bill was subsequently presented to the committee.
In view of the foregoing, approval of the CCLC was sought for the draft National Tariff Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to enable the ministry to proceed with obtaining parliamentary approval.
After detailed deliberations, the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases approved the draft amendments to the National Tariff Commission Act, 2015.
The CCLC’s decision will now be placed before the federal cabinet for final approval before the bill is presented to either House of Parliament.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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