Sost-Khunjerab border: Pakistan, China sign deal to operationalise green channel

ISLAMABAD: An online signing ceremony for the operationalisation of the Green Channel at the Sost-Khunjerab Border for agricultural and allied products was held Thursday at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Headquarters, Islamabad, between the customs administrations of Pakistan and China, marking an important step towards facilitating bilateral trade between the two countries.

The Pakistani delegation was headed by Syed Shakeel Shah, Member (C-Ops), and comprised the Chief Collector of Customs, Peshawar; Collector of Customs, Gilgit-Baltistan; representatives of the Department of Plant Protection, NAFSA, Pakistan Single Window (PSW), and the Ministry of Commerce; and the Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of Pakistan in China.

The Chinese delegation was headed by Ms. Li Qingua, Deputy Head of Urumqi Customs and Director of Tashkurgan Customs.

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The agreement aims to establish a Green Channel for trade in an agreed list of agricultural products between the two countries. Under the arrangement, the customs administrations of Pakistan and China will facilitate the movement of eligible consignments through priority processing and examination, while implementing risk-based controls to ensure effective customs oversight. The agreement also provides for enhanced exchange of information and risk alerts between the two customs administrations to strengthen coordination and improve the management of cross-border trade.

Recognizing the time-sensitive nature of agricultural trade, the arrangement further provides for priority handling of perishable consignments to minimize delays and facilitate their timely movement across the border.

The ceremony concluded with the signing of the agreement and concluding remarks by the heads of the two delegations, reaffirming the commitment of both sides to enhanced customs cooperation and trade facilitation.

The operationalization of the Green Channel is expected to provide a more efficient and coordinated framework for trade in agreed agricultural products between Pakistan and China, while strengthening bilateral customs cooperation and facilitating the movement of time-sensitive consignments through the Sost-Khunjerab Border.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026