Anti-Dumping Duties Bill 2026: Pakistan to Cut Appeal Time From 45 to 30 Days
The NA commerce committee backed the Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Bill 2026 on 11 November. Appeals drop from 45 to 30 days. All six changes, and what to do.
The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Commerce recommended on 11 November 2026 that the House pass the Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The bill cuts the time to file an appeal before the Anti-Dumping Appellate Tribunal from 45 days to 30 days and gives the Islamabad High Court sole power to hear appeals beyond the tribunal.
We read the committee's press release on the National Assembly website on 12 November. It is a committee recommendation, not a law yet: the bill still has to pass the National Assembly and the Senate and get the President's assent. Below is each change the release lists, who it affects, and what an importer or local maker should do now.
The appeal window drops from 45 days to 30 days
An anti-dumping duty is an extra duty on imported goods sold in Pakistan below their normal price, set by the National Tariff Commission (NTC). A company that disagrees with an NTC decision can appeal to the Anti-Dumping Appellate Tribunal. Today it has 45 days to do that. Under the bill it would have 30 days.
Fifteen fewer days matters. An appeal needs the NTC's decision, the company's own sales and cost records, and a lawyer's grounds. A company that waits for the end of the window could find the door closed.
Six changes the bill makes, as the committee release lists them
The Ministry of Commerce briefed the committee. The release says the bill aims to strengthen the legal framework against unfair trade, improve duty collection and recovery, and speed up appeals. It lists these changes:
| # | Change | Who it touches most |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revises the period for provisional measures | Importers facing a temporary duty during an NTC probe |
| 2 | Appeal period cut from 45 to 30 days | Anyone appealing an NTC decision |
| 3 | Islamabad High Court gets exclusive appellate jurisdiction | Firms that take a case beyond the tribunal |
| 4 | Recovery of anti-dumping duty under the Customs Act strengthened | Importers with unpaid duty |
| 5 | Financial security rules revised | Importers asked to post a bank guarantee |
| 6 | Duty rates for non-cooperating exporters rationalised | Foreign exporters who do not answer the NTC |
The release does not give the new provisional period, the new security rules or the new rates. Those will be in the bill text. We did not read the bill text itself in this session, so we have not stated any figure beyond the 45 and 30 days.
What "exclusive jurisdiction of the Islamabad High Court" means
Today a company unhappy with a tribunal decision may be able to go to a high court in its own province. If the bill passes as described, appeals at that level would go only to the Islamabad High Court. For a Karachi or Lahore importer, that means a case in Islamabad, with a lawyer who practises there.
The release gives the reason in general terms: to speed up the appeals process. One court hearing all cases should also mean one line of rulings rather than several.
What importers and local makers should do now
The law has not changed yet, but the direction is clear. If you import goods under an anti-dumping duty, or your factory relies on one for protection, these steps help:
- Check whether your product carries an anti-dumping duty, using our guide to check anti-dumping duty on an import in Pakistan.
- Note the date of any NTC decision that affects you, and count 30 days, not 45, as your safe deadline from now on.
- Keep your import papers, invoices and cost records ready, so an appeal can be filed fast.
- If you have unpaid anti-dumping duty, settle it or seek advice, as recovery powers are set to get stronger.
- Watch the National Assembly's bills page for the bill's passage and the Gazette for the final text.
A recent case shows how these duties work: the NTC's preliminary anti-dumping duty on colour-coated steel from China.
The same meeting heard export figures and a chambers bill
The committee also took up the Trade Organizations (Third Amendment) Bill, 2026, a private member's bill moved by Dr. Farooq Sattar about the status of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce. The committee repeated that chambers should be organised at division level, not district level, and sent the bill to the National Assembly's drafting branch.
On trade, the committee was told that exports to ASEAN countries more than doubled in July to October, that rice exports rose about 46 per cent in the first four months of this fiscal year, and that China takes over 90 per cent of Pakistan's sesame seed exports. It asked the food security ministry for a five to seven year report on sugar and wheat imports and exports.
How we checked this
We opened the committees page of the National Assembly press releases on 12 November 2026 at about 22:00 PKT. All committee releases are on one long page with no link for each item, so we searched it for the commerce committee entry dated 11 November, the 27th meeting chaired by Muhammad Jawed Hanif Khan, and read it in full. Every change above is taken from that release.
Common questions
Is the 30-day appeal period law now?
No. The commerce committee recommended the bill for passage on 11 November 2026. It still needs votes in the National Assembly and the Senate and the President's assent.
How long do I have to appeal an anti-dumping decision today?
45 days before the Anti-Dumping Appellate Tribunal, according to the committee release. The bill would make it 30 days.
Which court will hear anti-dumping appeals?
Under the bill, the Islamabad High Court would have exclusive appellate jurisdiction.
Who sets anti-dumping duties in Pakistan?
The National Tariff Commission investigates and sets them. Customs collects them at import.
Does the bill change any duty rate?
It rationalises the rates for exporters who do not cooperate with an NTC probe. The release does not give the new rates.
Where can I read the bill?
On the National Assembly website once it is listed, and in the Gazette of Pakistan after it becomes law.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
National Assembly of Pakistan, Committee press releases: "NA Standing Committee on Commerce, November 11, 2026", read on 12 November 2026 at about 22:00 PKT. We will update this page when the bill passes.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
