Five-year age limit on commercial used-car imports removed

The Ministry of Commerce has confirmed that the five-year age limit on the commercial import of used vehicles no longer applies, with effect from 1 July 2026. The ministry said so in an office memorandum to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) dated 30 October 2026. Imported vehicles must still meet environmental and safety standards and the other import policy requirements.

What changed

Until 30 June 2026, commercial imports of used vehicles under PCT headings 8702, 8703, 8704 and 8711 were allowed only for vehicles less than five years old. That rule came from SRO 1895(I)/2025, issued in September 2025, which also said the age limit could be removed after 30 June 2026.

FBR asked the ministry on 23 October 2026 whether the limit still applied after that date. The ministry's answer, dated 30 October, is that it does not. No replacement age limit has been reported.

What conditions remain

• Other import policy requirements still apply.
• Environmental and safety standards apply, as set by the Ministry of Industries and Production and the Engineering Development Board.
• The announcement, as reported, concerns commercial imports.

What it means for buyers

A used car older than five years can now be brought in by a commercial importer, which widens the model years on offer. Each car still has to meet the standards, and import duty still applies.

For an estimate on a car you are considering, use the import duty calculator, which labels each rate as statutory, estimate or disputed. The calculator currently lists model years from 2021, and its limits will change only after the notification itself has been read. To see what is sold new, browse new car prices. The industry association's request on the Gift Scheme is in our earlier report.

What is not yet known

• The number and full text of the memorandum were not in the reports we read.
• The standards or testing an older vehicle must pass, and who checks them at the port, have not been described.
• Whether the regulatory duty on commercial used imports changes with this decision has not been reported. Duty rates on this site come only from the notifications themselves.