Imports, arriving at Port Qasim, would also be screened by the scanners to check banned items. However, a physical customs examination would be required to ascertain the details of goods which have different rate of duty and duty drawback rates.
The NLC has started training of the customs examiners dealing with the scanners under the supervision of Chinese experts.
Earlier, the NLC staff underwent training in China for operation of the scanners.
The scanning for exports would be carried out by the Collectorate of Customs (Export), while the scanning of imports, would be supervised by the Collectorate of Customs, Port Mohammad bin Qasim.
The scanning of imports would be carried out for swift clearance under risk profiling system to facilitate the trade.
The rates for scanning have yet to be decided by the Central Board of Revenue (CBR), which would also officially notify commencing of operation of the scanners and its charges.
Meanwhile, a spokesman of the NLC said on Wednesday that in the second phase, the container scanners would be installed at East and West Wharves and at a later stage at all land export stations such as Chaman and Torkham etc. He said that the NLC tried to convince the trade that the NLC had not installed the scanner as a commercial venture but to facilitate the trade.
The scanning charges, to be fixed in consultation with the trade, would actually reduce the shipment cost because of unforeseen charges incurred on containers before shipment.
Further, the containers scanned at Karachi would not be screened again at Dubai or other international ports, which would drastically cut transit time resulting in saving cost of export shipments.
CBR Chairman Abdulla Yousuf and Customs member Mohammad Ramazan had recently visited the scanner and appreciated its working.