Pakistan has allowed the export of kinnow and potatoes to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) through the Iran land route after granting a one-time exemption from the requirement of financial instruments, as reported by Business Recorder.
The Commonwealth of Independent States includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, and Tajikistan.
According to information shared with the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Commerce, exports through the land route began on December 5, 2025. Between December 5 and December 8, a total of 139 trucks of kinnow and 32 trucks of potatoes crossed the Taftan border for onward movement to CIS countries.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), in a letter to the Ministry of Commerce dated December 5, advised that the federal government may consider granting a one-time exemption from the requirement of financial instruments for exports of kinnow and potatoes to CIS countries via Iran, subject to specific conditions.
SBP said the exemption would be valid only for the current export season and would not be treated as a precedent. It also advised the Ministry of Commerce to prescribe a mechanism to ensure repatriation of export proceeds into Pakistan in line with Section 12(1) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947, and to ensure adequate safeguards related to international sanctions for transactions routed through Iran.
The exemption allows exporters to ship kinnow and potatoes to CIS member states via the land route without submission of financial instruments for the current season. The mechanism for monitoring repatriation of export proceeds will be notified separately.
The Ministry of Commerce said a senior-level meeting was held on December 4, 2025, attended by the secretary commerce, secretary national food security and research, deputy governor SBP, minister of state for finance, member customs (operations) FBR, representatives of the Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Pakistan Fruits and Vegetables Exporters Association, and other stakeholders.
