Pakistan Customs Stops Shipping Companies from Charging War Fees on Cargo Already in Transit

The government has directed shipping companies to stop imposing war risk and emergency conflict surcharges on cargo that had already departed or entered transit before the recent escalation of regional tensions, providing relief to traders and businesses.

According to officials from Pakistan Customs, shipping lines and their local agents have been instructed to immediately halt the collection of “War Risk and Emergency Conflict Surcharges (ECS)” on shipments that had already sailed or were in transit before February 28, 2026.

The issue came to light after members of the business community filed complaints with customs authorities, claiming that several shipping companies had started charging additional war-related fees even for consignments that had left ports well before the start of the current regional crisis.

Traders described the practice as commercially unethical and said the unexpected charges were placing an unnecessary financial burden on importers and exporters. Many businesses argued that retroactive surcharges were unfair because the cargo had already departed before the escalation of hostilities.

Following these complaints, customs authorities issued a directive ordering shipping companies to immediately stop levying or retaining such charges on shipments that had already sailed, entered transit, or reached ports before the February 28 deadline.

Officials also asked traders to provide documentary proof if shipping companies had already demanded or collected such fees so that action could be taken against those involved.

In a separate circular, the collectorate noted that several complaints had been received regarding non-transparent pricing practices by shipping lines during the current regional tensions. Businesses claimed that sudden and unclear charges were increasing logistics costs across the trade supply chain.

Authorities have now directed all maritime stakeholders to clearly communicate any applicable charges in advance to importers, exporters, and customs officials. They warned that violations of these instructions would be taken seriously, adding that the government remains committed to protecting the business community from unfair practices during the ongoing regional instability.

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