Islamabad, October 9, 2025 – In a major step toward trade facilitation, Pakistan Customs has inaugurated a new Customs Laboratory at Azakhel Dry Port, significantly enhancing testing and verification capabilities for imported and exported goods.
The newly established facility is equipped with modern instruments to analyze fabrics, plastics, plastic-related products, edible items, and dyes. Previously, importers and exporters were required to send samples to testing laboratories in Karachi, Lahore, or Faisalabad, resulting in long delays and higher operational costs.
With the new customs laboratory now operational, nearly 80% of all samples will be tested locally, reducing clearance time and improving efficiency. The move fulfills a long-standing demand of traders and industrialists, who have welcomed the initiative as a step toward lowering dwell time and streamlining trade procedures.
President of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Junaid Altaf, praised Pakistan Customs for the development, stating that it would strengthen transparency, enhance testing reliability, and ensure faster results. The improved facility will also boost customs controls by maintaining the integrity of product samples and minimizing the risk of manipulation.
Officials confirmed that another state-of-the-art customs laboratory is nearing completion at Torkham Border Station under the Integrated Transit Trade Management System (ITTMS) Project, further expanding the department’s testing network across the region.