ISLAMABAD, October 29, 2026: Pakistan and China have signed an agreement to establish a Green Channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border crossing to facilitate agricultural trade, allowing faster customs clearance and priority processing of eligible shipments between the two countries.
The agreement aims to reduce border delays, improve customs coordination and ensure the timely movement of agricultural and related products, particularly perishable goods.
An online signing ceremony was held at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) headquarters in Islamabad, marking a step towards improving bilateral trade facilitation.
The Pakistani delegation was led by Member Customs Operations Syed Shakeel Shah and included the Chief Collector Customs Peshawar, Collector Customs Gilgit-Baltistan and representatives of the Department of Plant Protection, relevant food safety authorities, Pakistan Single Window and the Ministry of Commerce.
The commercial counsellor at Pakistan’s embassy in China also participated in the proceedings.
The Chinese delegation was headed by Li Qinghua, Deputy Head of Urumqi Customs and Director of Tashkurgan Customs.
Green Channel to speed up customs clearance
Under the agreement, the customs administrations of both countries will establish a dedicated Green Channel for agricultural products included in a mutually agreed list.
Eligible consignments will receive priority processing and inspection to facilitate their movement across the border.
The arrangement also provides for risk-based customs controls to maintain effective regulatory oversight while reducing unnecessary delays.
Both sides have agreed to strengthen the exchange of information and risk alerts between their customs authorities to improve coordination and cross-border trade management.
Special attention will be given to shipments containing perishable agricultural products, which require timely clearance to preserve quality and minimise losses.
The agreement is expected to support agricultural exporters and traders by improving customs efficiency at the Sost-Khunjerab crossing, an important land trade route connecting Pakistan and China.
The Green Channel will apply to eligible agricultural and related products covered by the agreed arrangements rather than all goods crossing the border.
The initiative reflects continued cooperation between the two countries to simplify trade procedures and strengthen bilateral commercial connectivity.