ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan has reduced regulatory duties on imported mobile phones for fiscal year 2026-27, with premium smartphones receiving the biggest relief under the revised tariff structure.
The regulatory duty on CBU smartphones valued above $500 has been cut by Rs4,400 per handset, falling from Rs22,000 to Rs17,600, a 20% reduction. The revised rates came into effect on July 1, 2026.
New Regulatory Duty Rates
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reduced regulatory duty across major smartphone price categories:
| Smartphone C&F Value | Previous RD | New RD | Reduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $30 | Rs300 | Rs240 | Rs60 |
| $30–$100 | Rs3,000 | Rs2,400 | Rs600 |
| $100–$200 | Rs7,500 | Rs6,000 | Rs1,500 |
| $200–$350 | Rs11,000 | Rs8,800 | Rs2,200 |
| $350–$500 | Rs15,000 | Rs12,000 | Rs3,000 |
| Above $500 | Rs22,000 | Rs17,600 | Rs4,400 |
Additional Duties Also Reduced
The government has also lowered Additional Customs Duty from 6% to 4% on relevant mobile-phone imports. For smartphones imported in CKD/SKD form for local assembly, regulatory duty has been reduced from 5% to 4%, while additional customs duty has also fallen to 4%.
The changes form part of Pakistan’s broader FY2026-27 tariff rationalisation policy and are aimed at reducing import costs while supporting the country’s growing local mobile-phone assembly sector.
Pakistan imported around 32 million mobile phones during FY2025-26, compared with approximately 33 million in the previous fiscal year. However, the value of imports increased from around Rs427 billion to Rs520 billion, reflecting stronger demand for higher-value devices and components used by local assemblers.
Despite the duty reduction, retail prices may not fall by the full Rs4,400 because other taxes and charges remain applicable. Phones priced above $500 are still subject to 25% sales tax on the applicable customs value.
The revised duties are also separate from PTA registration and DIRBS requirements, which continue to apply to imported phones used on Pakistan’s mobile networks.
