Pakistan to have first garment common bonded warehouse

A first of its kind Common Bonded Warehouse (CBW) will be set up in Pakistan by Elite Services System (ESS), a customs clearing services agency in partnership with American and Efrid Lanka (A&E Lanka).

American and Efrid is the second largest thread producer in the world with manufacturing facilities in 23 countries, and a sales and distribution network in over 100 countries.

ESS chief executive Saad Mukhtar Siddiqui while speaking to the media said, “The CBW would offer small and medium exporting enterprises (SMEs), access to quality raw materials and earn foreign exchange.”

According to Siddiqui, as of now, only big exporters who had the capacity to import or hold millions of dollars in raw material inventories enjoyed this facility.

Under the CBW, subject to a few government mandated conditions, SME exporters would get access to raw materials like yarn, thread, fabric, etc, without payment of duty or taxes.

“A Pakistani law provisions to set up CBW’s and it is necessary to boost the export potential of SME’s by setting up such a CBW,” he added.