ISLAMABAD: The Directorate General of Customs Valuation in Karachi has issued new customs values for the import of a wide range of tiles, including ceramic and porcelain types.
The updated valuation ruling, numbered 2011 of 2025, covers 14 types of polished porcelain tiles, 14 types of regular porcelain tiles, and nine types of matt, glazed, glazed polished, and border tiles, including those decorated with gold, silver, or luster, whether plain or embossed.
The values were revised under Section 25-A of the Customs Act, 1969, as part of Valuation Ruling No. 1972/2025. That ruling was later challenged under Section 25-D and remanded back to the Directorate by the Director General through Order-in-Revision No. 34/2025.
The order instructed a fresh evaluation under Section 25-A, addressing specific objections noted in the revision order. Until the new exercise is completed, the existing valuation ruling will remain in effect.
The Order-in-Revision raised concerns about grouping tiles from the UAE, Turkey, and Iran into a general “others” category, which applied the same lower values used for Chinese tiles. It also pointed to the valuation of larger-sized tiles as a key issue.
Following these instructions, the Directorate held meetings with stakeholders on May 5 and June 16, 2025, to reassess the values. Importers claimed that international tile prices had dropped due to new technologies and warned against the risk of mis-declaration of porcelain tiles.
They also argued that categorising non-Chinese tiles with lower-value Chinese tiles did not reflect market realities. Additionally, they said that tile prices do not rise in direct proportion to size.
Local manufacturers, on the other hand, said they had invested heavily in local production, including larger-sized tiles. They insisted that imported tile prices in the local market remained high and suggested a market inquiry to verify their claims.
Manufacturers also argued that prices do scale with size and supported higher valuations for larger tiles. They believed only the “other origin” category needed revision, as stated in the Order-in-Revision.
Stakeholders did not submit full documentation but instead provided suggested values for different tile sizes. The Directorate acknowledged the manufacturers’ participation in the process.
Importers and representatives of RAK Ceramics, UAE, were asked to submit sales tax returns and Annexure-C, but they did not provide the required documents to support their position.
