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Selling to the EU from Pakistan
Every claim on this page links to the full answer with the regulation and article on the main guide; nothing here is new or looser than the official text.
You export from Pakistan; Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad; into the European Union, primarily textiles, garments, leather goods and sports goods. Pakistan benefits from the EU's GSP+ preferential tariff scheme, but product rules apply fully. Since 13 December 2024, almost every consumer product sold in the EU needs a Responsible Person inside the EU.
The questions, with answers
Is GSP+ still there after 2026? no longer automatic
Not automatically. Pakistan trades into the EU under GSP+, which lowers duty in exchange for implementing international conventions. Under the new GSP Regulation applying from 1 January 2027, GSP+ is no longer extended automatically: a beneficiary must apply formally and submit an action plan covering the conventions, with a transition period for evaluation. Plan on the assumption that the rate can change.
Full answer — the grounds, the numbers, the pitfalls
Whether a preference actually applies is decided per product by the origin rule in the agreement, not by where the goods were shipped from. Rules of origin works that through, and the goods code decides which rule you are under. A claim without valid proof is recovered from the importer, three years back, with interest.
Does GSP+ preferential access exempt me from product rules?
No. GSP+ reduces or eliminates customs duties on Pakistani goods entering the EU; that is the tariff benefit. GPSR, REACH, CE marking and the Responsible Person apply on top, exactly as to goods from any other origin.
What REACH restrictions hit Pakistani textiles hardest?
Azo dyes that release restricted amines, formaldehyde in finishing, certain phthalates in prints, and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in water-repellent treatments. EU buyers routinely test for all of these; a failed test means the order is rejected at the border or returned.
Who needs the EU Responsible Person; the factory or the buyer?
The duty sits with whoever places the product on the EU market; usually the EU buyer who imports. But commercially, the buyer requires the factory to provide test reports, substance declarations and technical file content. A supplier who cannot produce them on demand loses the order.
We export leather goods. Which chemical limit fails the most shipments?
Chromium VI. Entry 47 of Annex XVII to REACH bans placing leather articles that come into contact with the skin on the EU market when they contain 3 mg/kg or more of chromium VI, measured on the total dry weight of the leather. It is not a labelling rule and there is no tolerance to negotiate: over the limit means the article may not be sold, and a buyer who has already taken delivery has to withdraw it. Chromium VI is not usually added; it forms from chromium III during tanning, drying and storage, which is why a lot passes at the tannery and fails after eight weeks in a container. Test the finished article, not the wet blue, and test it late.
What is the forced labour regulation going to ask of us?
Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 prohibits placing on the EU market, making available on it, or exporting from it any product made with forced labour. It applies from 14 December 2027, it covers every product regardless of origin or sector, and there is no de minimis and no certificate that exempts you. Enforcement runs through investigations by member state authorities and the Commission, with a decision that can order a product withdrawn from the market and disposed of. For an exporter the practical preparation is the same work the regulation will test: knowing which sites your material actually comes from, being able to show it, and being able to answer a question about a specific site quickly. Buyers are already asking two years ahead of the date.
Who can help?
Source: Editorial list, checked 4 September 2026.
Next steps
Your EU buyer will not read the regulation to you; he will send a document list and drop the order when it comes back short. Have the technical file, the test reports and the substance declarations ready before the first purchase order rather than after the first rejection. The full guide covers GPSR, REACH, EPR and CBAM, each with regulation, article and the date it was last verified.
Not sure which regimes land on your product? The product check asks seven questions and names them. If you also sell direct to EU consumers, the Responsible Person duty is yours as well, not only your buyer's.
Trading with a company you have never met? The official register of every country in the world sits on one page, with a free company finder: check the counterparty before you ship; add the VAT and sanctions check in the same step.