New Pakistan Customs Tariff Codes for Used Clothing: What Must Be on Your Bill of Lading
Buyers who ship into Karachi or Port Qasim are seeing a new instruction from their shipping lines: the Pakistan PCT code for used clothing has been split into three, and it must now be stated correctly on the Bill of Lading before docs cutoff, or an amendment fee applies. This is a documentation change, not a duty change, but it can hold up a container just as easily as a customs query if a shipping instruction goes in with the wrong or missing code. This guide sets out what has changed, why carriers are treating it as a mandatory field, and what a buyer or forwarder should do differently on the next shipping instruction.
What actually changed: the HS code is the same, the PCT code is not
Used clothing is still classified worldwide under HS code 6309, the international six-digit heading for worn clothing and other worn textile articles. That has not moved. What has changed is how Pakistan Customs breaks that heading down at the national level, in the eight-digit Pakistan Customs Tariff (PCT) code that sits underneath it.
Previously, worn clothing entering Pakistan was administered under a single PCT heading, 6309.0000, covering the category as a whole. Carriers are now advising that Pakistan Customs has split this into three separate PCT codes:
6309.1010: Used clothing
6309.1020: Used or worn footwear
6309.1090: Other worn articles
For a buyer, the practical effect is that "used clothing" is no longer one line item at the tariff level. A container carrying clothing, footwear, and other worn goods together may now need more than one PCT code represented accurately across the shipment paperwork, not a single blanket code.
Why this is a Bill of Lading issue, not just a customs clearance issue
Pakistan Customs already runs a strict manifest-matching regime: carriers must submit accurate cargo details electronically before a vessel is cleared, and Pakistan's rules allow corrections to a filed Bill of Lading only after the shipper pays a manifest amendment fee. That framework is why shipping lines are now pushing the PCT code requirement further upstream, onto the shipping instruction itself, rather than leaving it to be resolved at the port.
Carriers serving Fastex have advised that the PCT code must be treated as a mandatory shipping detail, on the same footing as cargo description, shipment weight, seal number, and package count. If the correct code is not clearly stated in the shipping instructions before the documentation cutoff, it will not appear correctly on the Bill of Lading, and any later correction is an amendment, not a formality, with the associated charge.
What to do differently on your next shipping instruction
The fix is straightforward, but it has to happen before cutoff, not after. Confirm the correct PCT code for each product type in the container: 6309.1010 for used clothing, 6309.1020 for used or worn footwear, 6309.1090 for other worn articles. If a container mixes categories, check with your clearing agent or your consignee on how the carrier wants the split represented, since a single blanket code may no longer describe the cargo accurately.
Build this into your shipping instruction checklist rather than treating it as an afterthought:
Confirm the product mix in the container: clothing, footwear, other worn articles, or a combination.
Match each category to its PCT code before you submit shipping instructions, not after.
Submit before docs cutoff. Late amendments are chargeable, and the cutoff is a hard line, not a guideline.
Check with your consignee in Pakistan, since they may already be applying the new codes on their side and can confirm what their broker expects to see.
Keep your invoice, packing list, and bale list consistent with whichever PCT code or codes apply, the same discipline that already keeps HS 6309 shipments moving cleanly through Karachi.
What is confirmed and what to verify
Be precise about the source here, since it protects you. What we can confirm is that shipping lines are actively advising exporters of this PCT split and are enforcing it as a mandatory Bill of Lading field with amendment charges for late changes, consistent with how Pakistan's manifest system already treats other mandatory cargo data. What we have not independently verified in this session is the underlying Federal Board of Revenue tariff schedule showing the 6309.1010 / 6309.1020 / 6309.1090 breakdown in an officially published document. Treat the codes above as accurate based on carrier advisories, and confirm the current PCT structure with your clearing agent or the FBR tariff before you finalize a shipping instruction, the same caution we recommend for duty rates in our Pakistan country guide.
Where this fits with the rest of your Pakistan paperwork
This sits alongside two other pieces of the Pakistan picture worth having open at the same time. Our Pakistan country guide covers ports, HS 6309 basics, and the broader duty and documentation picture. Our companion piece on the Pakistan EPZ 80/20 rule covers a separate, larger regulatory question for zone-based graders. This PCT code change is narrower but more immediate: it affects the very next Bill of Lading you file, regardless of whether your container is headed for the domestic market or an export processing zone.
Fastex prepares complete export documentation on every shipment, invoice, packing list, and bale list, built to match the correct classification for the destination market. That habit is what keeps a shipping instruction accurate the first time, whether the requirement is HS 6309 generally or a more specific PCT breakdown like this one. You can see how a shipment is prepared in how it works, and what stock feeds into each container in what we source.
Start a container enquiry
If you are placing an order for Pakistan and want to make sure your next shipping instruction reflects the correct PCT code from the start, tell us your product mix and target port, and we will make sure the paperwork matches before docs cutoff. Message Fastex on WhatsApp at +971 55 839 3916 or email info@fastexgt.com. You can also reach us through our contact page. Global Trading. Grounded in Trust.
Frequently asked questions
What are the new Pakistan PCT codes for used clothing?
Shipping lines have advised three new codes under the existing HS 6309 heading: 6309.1010 for used clothing, 6309.1020 for used or worn footwear, and 6309.1090 for other worn articles. Previously, worn clothing was administered under a single code, 6309.0000.
Has the HS code for used clothing changed?
No. The international HS code, 6309, is unchanged. The change is at the national tariff level, in how Pakistan's eight-digit Pakistan Customs Tariff (PCT) code breaks that heading down into more specific categories.
What happens if the PCT code is missing or wrong on the Bill of Lading?
Carriers are treating the PCT code as a mandatory shipping detail. If it is not provided accurately in the shipping instructions before the documentation cutoff, correcting it afterward is an amendment, and amendment charges apply.
Do these PCT codes apply to used footwear as well as clothing?
Yes. Used or worn footwear has its own code, 6309.1020, separate from used clothing (6309.1010) and other worn articles (6309.1090). A container mixing categories should have each represented accurately rather than described under one blanket code.