Faceless Customs Assessment: CAU Moves to Islamabad (2026)

Written 30 October 2026. In a statement dated 29 October 2026, the Federal Board of Revenue said that moving the Central Appraising Unit (CAU) to Islamabad "is not subject to reversal". It set out which functions move and which stay in Karachi, and it listed proposed clearance timelines. The statement was a response to the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), which had raised clearance delays, valuation disputes and laboratory referrals.

This is a press statement, not a notification. It changes no rule. But it tells you where to take a problem, and what FBR says it wants from the people who file Goods Declarations, which in practice often means you.

For background on the wider move away from WeBOC, see our earlier piece on the new customs digital management system.

What moves to Islamabad, and what stays in Karachi

FBR's words: "only the assessment function will be relocated to Islamabad, other functions will remain with the collectorate of jurisdiction. Physical examination and port operations will continue at Karachi, and traders will be able to approach their respective Karachi collectorates for resolution of issues."

So for an examination or port problem, the statement points you to your Karachi collectorate, not Islamabad.

Valuation stays under section 25

On valuation, the statement says that "customs valuation continues to be governed by Section 25 of the Customs Act, 1969. Digital assessment does not authorise arbitrary enhancement of declared values, and officers are required to follow the prescribed valuation methods and record reasons wherever required."

The disagreement, and FBR's figures

APTMA's representation raised "clearance delays, valuation disputes and laboratory referrals". FBR's reply is that the figures APTMA cited "largely relate to the initial months of implementation and do not fully reflect subsequent improvements".

FBR says average customs clearance time has fallen from 40.2 hours to 20.57 hours, and that 83% of consignments are now cleared within 48 hours. These are FBR's own figures, published in reply to the complaint. The statement does not say what period or which ports they cover, and we have not seen data that would confirm or contradict them.

Proposed timelines, not a service standard

The statement says: "Proposed service timelines include 24 hours for assessment and first review, 48 hours for second review, 24 hours for examination after grounding, and 72 hours for laboratory results, supported by automatic escalation mechanisms." It adds that provisional release under section 81 "will also be facilitated wherever legally applicable".

The word FBR uses is proposed. These are not notified, and nothing in the statement makes them a deadline you can hold an office to. Treat them as FBR's stated intention, and watch for a formal instrument if one follows.

The statement also mentions planned backlog-clearance arrangements for EFS and export-oriented consignments, and green-channel facilitation for Authorised Economic Operators and compliant importers. It gives no dates for these.

What FBR is asking of filers

File the GD before the vessel arrives. FBR urged trade bodies to educate members "about the timely filing of Goods Declarations before vessel arrival", saying advance filing and pre-arrival processing "can enable eligible consignments to be assessed and cleared earlier, thereby reducing port dwell time and avoidable demurrage costs".
Bring specific cases, with GD numbers. FBR "invited APTMA and other trade bodies to submit specific and verifiable cases, including relevant Goods Declaration numbers", to examine reported delays, valuation disputes and classification errors. If you have a stuck or disputed consignment, keep the GD number and the dates, and route it through your trade body.
Take examination and port issues to Karachi. Under the statement, these remain with the collectorate of jurisdiction.

Read from FBR's statement of 29 October 2026, "FBR reiterates that Faceless Customs Assessment is a digital, not port-dependent, function", on 30 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.