The National Board of Revenue has issued Shipping Agent Licensing Rules, 2025 to streamline maritime trade and enhance transparency.

According to a press release issued by the NBR on Friday, this new set of regulations, promulgated through a notification on Tuesday, aims to ensure accountability and fair competition across all sea and river ports in the country.

Before this development, there were no independent regulations for this sector; shipping agent licenses were previously governed under the Customs Agent Licensing Rules, 2020.

The NBR also stated that the creation of these specialised rules was intended to modernise and simplify shipping agent operations.

Under the new framework, the licensing process has been significantly accelerated, the NBR said, adding that authorities no longer needed prior NBR approval to determine the number of licences issued per customs station.

This change would also allow licensing authorities to grant permits in a much shorter timeframe.

Moreover, the requirement for applicants to sit for written and oral examinations at the Customs Excise and VAT Training Academy has also been abolished.

Provided that all submitted documentation is accurate, the NBR has committed to issuing licenses within 30 working days.

A significant highlight of the 2025 rules is the expanded jurisdiction of the licenses. Previously, a shipping agent license was restricted only to the specific sea or river port under the issuing customs station, the revenue agency said.

The new regulations would permit a licence holder to conduct business at any sea or river port throughout the country, removing previous geographical barriers to trade.

The NBR emphasised that these reforms are part of its ongoing efforts to create an investment-friendly environment and to facilitate easier import-export activities for the nation.