KARACHI: Pakistan’s multibillion-rupee wood industry is facing serious challenges due to regulatory restrictions on wood imports, prompting the wood traders to urge the government to allow the import of wood logs with bark, subject to fumigation upon arrival and controlled debarking under the supervision of the Department of Plant Protection (DPP).
They have also called for rationalising Plant Protection Release Order (PPRO) charges from Rs1,000 to Rs55 per metric ton, in line with the charges applicable to commodities under Chapters 07 and 52.
According to the All-Pakistan Timber Traders Association (APTTA), mandatory pre-shipment debarking can adversely affect the commercial quality and value of wood, as removing the bark exposes logs to moisture loss, surface checking, cracking, blue stain and deeper discoloration during transportation and storage.
In a letter to Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R), APTTA stated that the issue of mandatory fumigation and pre-shipment debarking had remained unresolved since the promulgation of the Import Policy Order (IPO) 2022.
The association said the wood industry had repeatedly approached the concerned authorities over the past four years through extensive correspondence, meetings, and visits to Islamabad, but the matter remained unresolved.
APTTA proposed that wood logs should be permitted to enter Pakistan with bark and undergo prescribed fumigation immediately upon arrival, followed by controlled debarking at designated facilities under the supervision of the DPP or other competent authorities. Final phytosanitary clearance for the wood logs could then be granted after completion of the prescribed treatment, inspection and debarking procedures.
The association maintained that its proposed mechanism would retain existing phytosanitary safeguards, including an import permit, Phytosanitary Certificate (PSC), prescribed treatment, controlled debarking and final clearance. The proposed arrangement would address phytosanitary and biosecurity requirements while reducing the risk of unnecessary deterioration of imported wood during transportation and storage.
APTTA has also called for sawn timber to be completely exempted from additional PPRO requirements, as it already complies with prescribed phytosanitary treatment standards, including Kiln Drying (KD), Heat Treatment (HT), or fumigation.
Such imports are accompanied by a valid Import Permit and a Phytosanitary Certificate (PSC) issued by the exporting country’s competent authority, clearly specifying the treatment carried out. Accordingly, sawn timber should be cleared through a system-based approach, relying on the submitted documentation and established phytosanitary compliance, without requiring additional inspections, treatment, or PPRO procedures. This would avoid unnecessary regulatory costs, delays and duplication of procedures while maintaining the required phytosanitary safeguards.
The association has further proposed that the import permit should be valid for one year instead of six months, with provision for a further six-month renewal, to facilitate procurement, shipment planning and uninterrupted supply of imported wood.
In a separate concern, APTTA highlighted the significant increase in PPRO charges. On August 22, 2026, the previous charge of approximately Rs5,000 per Bill of Lading was effectively replaced by a charge of Rs1,000 per metric ton for wood imports, substantially increasing the regulatory cost of importing an essential industrial raw material.
The association argued that the higher charges would increase the landed cost of imported wood, placing additional financial pressure on timber-processing and downstream industries that have already been facing difficulties since 2022.
APTTA pointed out that commodities falling under Chapters 07 and 52 are subject to a PPRO charge of Rs55 per metric ton and requested that the same rate be applied to wood imports by reducing the existing charge from Rs1,000 to Rs55 per metric ton.
The association emphasised that Pakistan has limited domestic forest resources, while the timber, furniture, construction and allied industries depend substantially on imported wood to meet their raw-material requirements.
APTTA has also sought an urgent meeting with the concerned federal authorities, highlighting that the pre-shipment debarking and fumigation issue for wood logs has remained unresolved since 2022, while the increased PPRO charges are imposing an immediate additional financial burden on the industry.
The association further stated that the sector supports the livelihoods of approximately 1.1 million people and warned that higher import-related regulatory costs could increase production costs throughout the downstream value chain, affecting businesses, employment and the wider wood industry.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026