Cost of Shipping a Container to Pakistan

When you ship internationally, you will need a lot of documents. Below is a list of the most important documents you will be needing if you want to do international shipping:

• Commercial Invoice.
• Packing List.
• Import Customs Declaration.
• Bill of Lading & Sea Waybill.
• Certificates (production, vessel, phytosanitary)
• Arrival Notice.
• Certificate of Origin.
• Importer Security Filing (local customs requirements)
• Letter of Credit.

Depending on what you will ship, you may need special licenses and government permission. Additional documentation is required for certain products. Here is a list of some documentation you might be needing:

• Health Certificate
• Ingredients Certificate
• Inspection Certificate
• Pre-Shipment Inspection certificate
• Phytosanitary Certificate/quarantine certificate
• Radiation Certificate
• Electronic Export Information
• Certificate of Health or Sanitation
• Generic Certificate of Origin
• Dangerous Goods Certificate
• Fisheries Certificate
• Fumigation Certificate
• Halal Certificate
• Dock Receipt and Warehouse Receipt
• ISPM 15 (Wood Packaging) Marking certificate
• Product manual or Product catalog
• Certified Engineer’s Report
• Chartered engineer’s certificate
• Product specification certificate

It is the most essential document during your shipment process. The Bill of Lading serves as the receipt, title, and contract between the carrier and the shipper. It also details everything about the shipment from the destination port to the number of goods.

Every country that you can ship to has a list of prohibited and restricted items. These are goods or commodities that you are not allowed to import into the country. In Pakistan, there is an extensive list of those items. Check out the list below to know which ones you cannot ship into Pakistan:

• Any translation of the Holy Qur’an that does not include any Arabic text
• Goods or containers that are obscene or pornographic
• Factory rejects or low-quality goods in job lots
• Used oils
• Fireworks and other explosives
• Used or re-treaded tires
• Personal brewing equipment
• Firearms and ammunition
• Used electrical items
• Ham and Pork
• Forms
• Lithium Metal Batteries
• Passports
• Temperature-Controlled Perishables
• Precious Metals
• Products Made in Iran
• Telecommunication Equipment
• Acids
• Antiques
• Bearer Documents
• Bio Products
• Chemicals
• Communistic Materials
• Corrosives
• Cosmetics
• Dangerous Goods as defined by IATA (Intl. Air Transport Association)
• Drugs
• Flammables
• Furs
• Gases
• Industrial equipment
• Infectious Substances
• Knives
• Magnetized Materials
• Maps
• Mineral Products
• Oxidizers
• Paints
• Phones/modems
• Poisons
• Radioactives
• Satellites
• Satellite Parts
• Seeds
• Ship spares
• Shipments from Israel
• SIM Cards
• Stamps
• Tapes, video cassettes
• Textile articles
• Tobacco and Tobacco Leaves
• Toiletries
• Transparencies
• Used Goods
• Viagra
• Vitamins

Customs Duties in Pakistan are based on the International Harmonized System. They are issued based on the product’s value. It ranges from 0 to 25%.

FCL, or Full Cargo Load, is a kind of shipment in which the contents fill one container. The client avails of this option and utilizes the container alone. The packing and unpacking of the contents from the departure point to the destination will be taken charge of by the client. Once it is sent for shipping, the cargo will go straight to the destination without being reworked.

A Less Than Cargo Load (LCL) involves multiple clients’ goods packed in one container. The shipping company will pack and unpack these shipments. Once it is sent for shipping, the cargo can go through different ports and will be reworked at each destination.

The FCL shipment is notably faster than an LCL shipment, but it is less efficient if you don’t have enough items to fill one container.

Yes. You can track your cargo with something we call the “cargo tracking system”. To do so, you will need your container number, your Bill of Lading, your booking number, and the shipping line.

You will need around 50’ straightaway clearance for the delivery of a 20’ container, while a 100’ straightaway clearance is needed for a 40’ container. An overhead clearance of 17’ is also required. Please have the overhead clearance cleared of debris.

Yes. It is important to get insurance for your cargo to ensure that you and your shipment are well-protected from damages, losses, or any unprecedented circumstances. It is in your best interest to be insured especially in business transactions such as a shipping process.

Going through all the processes of filing the paperwork, perfecting the package, in-transit period, customs clearance, and local delivery within the country, the shipment may take between 3 weeks to 4 months. Since Pakistan is an Islamic country, it may be further delayed during Ramadan, an important religious period for the Islamic religion.