A shipment of charging equipment of Pakistani EV company has been held at Karachi Customs, disrupting projects at motorways, shopping malls, and fuel stations.
Go Green Avenue (Pvt) Ltd formally wrote to the Engineering Development Board, requesting removal of a disputed customs classification blocking its imported EV chargers.
The company says Customs General Order Entry No. 938, listed in Draft CGO No. 3 revised in February 2025, is the direct cause of the detention of goods.
It has asked the board for a one-time exemption to release the current detained shipment while the broader classification dispute is formally reviewed and resolved.
2030 electric vehicle target
A New Energy Vehicles Policy 2025–30 of Pakistan aims to convert thirty percent of all new vehicle sales to electric models by the year 2030.
The policy covers motorcycles, rickshaws, passenger cars, buses, and trucks, requiring the installation of approximately three thousand EV charging stations across the country.
Industry stakeholders warn the target faces serious risk from what they describe as non-tariff barriers that protect select local manufacturers from competitive imported alternatives.
Disputed customs classification
Critics argue the local manufacturer covered under CGO Entry No. 938 produces only Level 2 chargers with output power limited to fifty kilowatts or below.
They say the same manufacturer does not produce Level 3 DC fast chargers, which are considered essential for any viable rapid public charging network in Pakistan.
Questions have also been raised over whether the manufacturer’s products meet international safety standards, including IEC 61851, IEC 62196, and IEC 62311 governing EV charging systems.
Experts have further flagged gaps in electromagnetic compatibility standards, including the ETSI EN 301 489 series and the EN IEC 61000 framework, needed for network integration.
Compliance with ISO 9001:2015, an internationally recognised quality management certification, has also been questioned by parties who oppose the current customs classification arrangement.
Impact on Go Green Avenue
Go Green Avenue states it is actively partnering with automotive manufacturers and infrastructure operators to deploy fast-charging stations at key sites throughout Pakistan.
The held shipment has directly delayed multiple ongoing projects, with new planned deployments also affected by the continued detention at the Karachi port facility.
