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.
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.
Source: Regulation (EU) 2026/1395 (new GSP scheme), applicable from 1 January 2027 for ten years. Checked: 4 September 2026.
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.
Source: EU GSP+ scheme; Regulation (EU) 2023/988. Checked: 4 September 2026.
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.
Source: Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 (REACH), Annex XVII. Checked: 4 September 2026.
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.
Source: Regulation (EU) 2023/988, Article 4. Checked: 4 September 2026.
Who can help?
Source: Editorial list, checked 4 September 2026.
Next steps
Appoint a Responsible Person before your listings are suspended, not after — restoring a suspended listing takes longer than setting one up. The full guide covers GPSR, REACH, EPR and CBAM, each with regulation, article and the date it was last verified.
Selling into several EU countries at once? Labelling and warnings must be right per country — that is in the labelling answer.