Bureaucratic hurdles stall export of GB medicinal herbs to China despite Beijing’s approval

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s much-anticipated export of medicinal herbs to China, expected to boost Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) economy, has been held up for months due to bureaucratic delays in finalizing a phytosanitary protocol, despite formal approval from Beijing earlier this year.

The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), through its Announcement No. 192 of 2025, authorized the import of 29 Pakistani plant-based medicinal materials following technical consultations between the two sides. However, the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements, which must be signed by Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR), the National Agri Trade and Food Safety Authority (NA&FSA), and the GACC, has yet to be finalized and returned by Pakistan.

Exporters say the delay has blocked a significant trade opportunity, causing heavy losses to GB-based producers who had already secured Chinese buyers.

“Our buyers are ready; China has opened the door, but our own authority is keeping it shut,” an exporter told this correspondent.

The matter gained official attention after Muhammad Ali Quaid, Vice Chairman of the Gilgit-Baltistan Board of Investment and Trade, wrote to Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, urging immediate intervention to expedite the signing process.

In his letter, Mr Quaid noted that the agreement had already been finalized in principle with the Chinese side. He warned that inaction by NA&FSA risked damaging investor confidence and wasting a rare opportunity for GB’s economy.

The letter and accompanying complaints from exporters specifically named certain NA&FSA officials, including Mr Tahir Abbas (Additional Collector Customs currently who served as Director General DPP), Dr Muhammad Basit (former Deputy Director served as Director Quarantine, Registration, and Locust Control), and Mr Muhammad Umar Rathore (Entomologist), alleging they failed to act on repeated requests from exporters and from Pakistan’s High Commission in Beijing to forward the signed phytosanitary protocol to China.

Exporters claimed that repeated reminders sent on August 13, 20, and September 1, 2025, went unanswered, stalling the entire process. They also alleged that the issue could have been resolved and formally announced during the Prime Minister’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in September, a missed opportunity for a positive bilateral gesture.

Traders and industry insiders further alleged that the internal decision-making process within NA&FSA had become a bottleneck due to what they described as non-technical leadership and administrative interference. The name of Dr Syed Bilal Haider, former Joint Secretary (Admin) at the MNFSR and one of the architects of NA&FSA’s current structure, was also mentioned by exporters as having played a key role in the postings of officials now facing criticism from stakeholders.

According to traders, the ongoing issues reflect a broader pattern of bureaucratic inefficiency that has hurt Pakistan’s agro-based exports in recent years. They cited significant declines in rice exports to the European Union, corn exports to Vietnam, and mango exports to Iran, along with complications in sesame and oilseed shipments to China and other countries.

Industry sources allege that arbitrary policy decisions and lack of qualified technical leadership within NA&FSA have also affected the enforcement of biosecurity and quarantine regulations.

Exporters from Gilgit-Baltistan have warned that if the delay persists, they may stage protests against what they call “bureaucratic negligence and political indifference.”

Experts say that if formalized, the medicinal herb trade could emerge as a high-value export sector, potentially earning Pakistan tens of millions of dollars annually. Gilgit-Baltistan’s unique high-altitude terrain and pristine ecosystem make it suitable for herbs such as atish, buro, and sumbul, which are in high demand in China’s traditional medicine market.