Trade clearance from single platform from Jul 1

Quick trade clearance will cut cost and time for businesses as automated issuance of documents for export-import clearance on a single platform begins now under a reform recipe.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has automated the trade- clearance process -- a long-felt need to upgrade Bangladesh's external trade apace with the fast-moving world.

With this mechanisation of the outworn manual trade-clearance procedure, importers and exporters will get the certificates, licences and permits (CLP) from 19 major government entities from July 1, 2025 without having to move door to door.

The NBR says in a statement about the launch of the system that the automated issuance of CLP would "encourage foreign and local investment as time and cost for goods clearance will be reduced significantly".

From the upcoming financial year, commencing July 1, no manually issued CLPs will be allowed at the customs points for goods clearance.

The automated system has been prepared under the 'Bangladesh Single Window (BSW)' project.

Traders will have to apply for CLP on the BSW platform to release their cargos after customs assessment.

Already, some 365,002 CLPs had been issued until June 19, 2025 from the quick-trade platform on a pre-launch run.

Nearly 86-percent CLPs will be done in less than one hour while nearly 95 per cent in less than a day.

The CLP-issuing authorities include the Directorate-General of Drug Administration, Export Promotion Bureau, DoEX, BNACWC, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, the Department of Environment, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, BAEC, Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, the Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, CCI&E, BAERA, BAEC, DLS, and PQW.

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