PAA Reverses Illegal Export Cargo Surcharge After PMO Intervention

The Pakistan Airports Authority has overturned an export cargo surcharge that industry bodies had flagged as illegal and commercially damaging, following direct intervention by the Prime Minister's Office, which ordered a review of the contested levy.

The surcharge, imposed on air cargo exports, had drawn strong objections from exporters and freight forwarders who argued it was applied without legal basis and inflated the cost of air freight at a time when Pakistan's export competitiveness is under significant pressure. Industry representatives had escalated the matter through formal channels before the PMO took cognisance.

The reversal is being viewed as a responsive action by the government in addressing a concrete barrier to export logistics. Officials at the PMO indicated that the intervention was part of a broader effort to remove impediments to export facilitation as Pakistan works to accelerate foreign exchange earnings.

Trade bodies welcomed the decision but noted that similar regulatory overreach in port and aviation charges remains a systemic concern. They called on the government to institutionalise a review mechanism to prevent such levies from being imposed without adequate legal and consultative process.