Chattogram Customs revenue rises 11% in Q1, still Tk9,949cr short of target
The customs house collected Tk22,083 crore in July-September of FY27, up from Tk19,902 crore a year earlier, according to data from the Asycuda World system. However, the collection was 31% below the quarterly target of Tk32,032 crore
Highlights:
- Chattogram Customs revenue rose 10.96% year-on-year to Tk22,083 crore
- First-quarter collections fell Tk9,949 crore short of target
- September import volume dropped 4.1%, while assessable value declined 2.98%
- September revenue rose 8.31% to Tk7,581 crore, missing targets
- The 25% duty category remained September's largest revenue source despite declining collections
- Higher-duty imports boosted quarterly revenue despite September's weaker import activity
Chattogram Custom House's revenue collection rose nearly 11% year-on-year in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, but the customs station still fell Tk9,949 crore short of its revenue target as September imports and assessable values declined.
The customs house collected Tk22,083 crore in July-September of FY27, up from Tk19,902 crore a year earlier, according to data from the Asycuda World system. However, the collection was 31% below the quarterly target of Tk32,032 crore.
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The shortfall came as total import volume through the customs house declined 4.1% year-on-year in September, while the assessable value of imports fell 2.98%.
Sharif Al Amin, assistant commissioner and spokesperson for Chattogram Customs House, said revenue collection largely depends on import volume. However, the quarter's growth came largely from imports of goods with higher import duties.
"Despite the decline in import volume in September, revenue grew substantially in the first quarter as imports of high-value goods increased," he said.
On the gap against the target, Al Amin said the customs house remained behind its target in the first quarter but expected to recover the shortfall in the coming months.
Import volume and value fall in September
In September, customs handled 90.84 lakh tonnes of imports, down from 94.73 lakh tonnes a year earlier, while the assessable value fell to Tk48,642 crore from Tk50,136 crore.
The decline was concentrated in major duty categories. Imports under the 0% duty category fell by 1.44 lakh tonnes, while their assessable value dropped 9.26% to Tk21,694 crore.
The 15% and 25% duty categories also recorded lower import values, with assessable values declining by Tk513 crore and Tk695 crore respectively.
The 5% duty category presents a more striking picture. Import volume rose 1.24%, but its assessable value plunged 35.53% to Tk4,174 crore.
This suggests that the composition of imports within the category or international commodity prices had a significant effect on the customs valuation.
The 10% category showed an opposite trend. Its import volume declined marginally by 5,963 tonnes, but the assessable value increased by Tk469 crore, or 9.90%, to Tk5211 crore.
25% duty slab remains biggest revenue source
Chattogram Customs collected Tk7,581 crore in September, up 8.31% year-on-year from Tk7,000 crore. But the collection was 27.90%, below the Tk10,502 crore monthly target.
The 25% duty category remained the largest source of revenue for Chattogram Customs in September, but collections from the slab fell 21% year-on-year to Tk2,033 crore.
The decline in the highest-duty category was particularly significant because of its large contribution to total customs revenue.
Revenue from the 5% and 15% duty categories also declined, falling 28.32% to Tk873.40 crore and 21.85% to Tk590 crore, respectively. Collections from the 1% category plunged 79.76% to Tk48.50 crore.
The declines were partly offset by stronger collections from other slabs. Revenue from the 3% category surged 241%, while collections from the 10% and 0% categories rose 8.72% to Tk1,336 crore and 9.39% to Tk804 crore, respectively.
Quarterly trade activity expands
The broader first-quarter picture was stronger, with total import volume rising 3.63% to 2.50 crore tonnes and assessable value increasing 9.26% to Tk1,46,801.56 crore.
The increase in trade activity helped drive 10.96% growth in customs revenue, although performance varied across duty categories.
The 0% category remained the largest by import volume, rising 10% to 1.13 crore tonnes, while its assessable value increased 8% to Tk66,271 crore.
The 3% category recorded the sharpest expansion, with import volume more than tripling and assessable value surging 394% to Tk6,672 crore.
In contrast, import volume under the 1% category fell 60%, while the 5% category saw a 1.64% decline in volume and a 26% drop in assessable value.
