The Directorate General of Customs Valuation in Karachi has revised customs values for imported solar panels, now set between US$0.08 and US$0.09 per watt, depending on the panel type and origin.
This change follows several requests for a price revision, with stakeholders highlighting a notable drop in international solar panel prices. In response, the Directorate conducted a thorough evaluation to align customs values with current global market trends.
The Pakistan Solar Association (PSA) formally submitted a request on January 21, 2025, pointing out that the rates under the previous ruling (No. 1894/2024) were significantly higher than current market values. They noted this mismatch was causing clearance delays, as banks were rejecting declared values lower than the outdated customs rates.
A meeting held on February 19, 2025, with importers and stakeholders confirmed a general consensus: solar panel prices had indeed fallen, and tier-based valuation should continue. Stakeholders also suggested verifying local distributor prices and exhibition data to support updated rates.
Some major importers were absent due to participation in a long-running international solar expo in China, and further delays occurred due to the transfer of relevant customs officials.
In a follow-up meeting, participants submitted invoices, customs declarations, and recent clearance records to support their claims. Customs officials reviewed 90 days of trade data to finalize fair and up-to-date values.
The customs valuation process followed the Customs Act, 1969. While methods based on identical or transaction values were considered, they were not fully applicable. Instead, values were determined using the method for similar goods, as per Section 25A of the Act.
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