PIDE calls for urgent tariff reforms to boost exports

November 10, 2025 (MLN): A new ‘Policy Viewpoint’ by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) on Monday warned that Pakistan’s protectionist and overly complex tariff system was costing the economy billions of rupees annually, suffocating industrial competitiveness, and trapping the country in a cycle of inefficiency.

Authored by Dr Uzma Zia, Senior Research Economist at PIDE, the study titled “Rationalizing Pakistan’s Tariff Regime for Export-Led Growth” presented a compelling case for urgent, growth-oriented reform of Pakistan’s trade and industrial policy framework, as APP reported.

According to the study, Pakistan’s tariff regime dominated by Regulatory Duties (RDs), Additional Customs Duties (ACDs), and 5th Schedule exemptions has long protected inefficiency, distorted price signals, and raised production costs.

As a result, both manufacturers and consumers faced inflated costs, while export-oriented industries are handicapped by an anti-export bias. “Every additional year under the current tariff system slows export growth, raises production costs, and deepens the trade deficit. Pakistan can no longer afford this inefficiency,” Dr Zia warned.

The upcoming National Tariff Policy (NTP) 2025-30 provide a clear roadmap for reform, aiming to eliminate ACDs within four years and RDs within five, while transitioning products from the 5th Schedule to the 1st Schedule.

If implemented effectively, PIDE projected that the new policy could increase exports by 10-14%, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and reduce the trade deficit - while lowering inflation through reduced input costs.

To achieve these outcomes, the PIDE study recommended a comprehensive rationalization of the customs duty structure from five slabs to four (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) within five years, alongside a complete phase-out of tariff peaks exceeding 20%.

Duties should be harmonized by product category - lowest on raw materials, moderate on intermediates, and highest on consumer goods - to promote industrial upgrading and attract investment in high-value sectors, it added.

In addition, PIDE proposed aligning auto-sector tariffs with competitiveness and consumer choice under the Automotive Industry Development and Export Plan (AIDEP 2021–26), including duty reductions, removal of ACDs and RDs, and allowing controlled import of used vehicles under strict quality and environmental standards.

The author cautioned that resistance from protectionist industries and external shocks, such as commodity price volatility and exchange rate shifts, may slow progress.

However, it emphasized that the cost of inaction is far higher in lost investment opportunities, stagnant exports, and persistent consumer hardship.

PIDE concluded that Pakistan now stood at a pivotal moment: by embracing tariff rationalization and aligning trade policy with competitiveness and global integration, the country can transition from revenue-driven protectionism to export-led, sustainable growth.

“Tariff reform is not just an economic necessity - it is a national imperative,” Dr Zia affirmed.

He said that simplifying tariffs, eliminating distortions, and aligning policy with long-term growth goals could reshape Pakistan’s economic future.

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