Pakistan's National Tariff Commission has imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty of 9.03% on imports of cold-forming and tropical alu-alu foil from China, the foil used to seal pharmaceutical blister packs. The preliminary determination, issued on 21 October 2026, applies for four months under tariff codes 7607.1990 and 7607.2000. The duty takes effect immediately, pending a final ruling, and is set at the injury margin rather than the full dumping margin found in the investigation.

Complaint and investigation timeline

The investigation was launched on 23 July 2026 after a complaint by Lahore-based domestic producer Zenith Packages Industries (Pvt.) Limited, which argued that dumped Chinese imports had caused material injury to the local industry. Investigators examined dumping over April 2025 to March 2026 and injury over April 2023 to March 2026. Chinese exporter Yangzhou Jerel Pharmaceutical New Material Co. Ltd. responded to the commission's exporter questionnaire. A final determination is due within 180 days of the preliminary announcement.

What it means for medicine packaging

Alu-alu foil is the aluminium-polymer laminate that protects tablets and capsules in blister packs from moisture, light and air, so the duty directly affects input costs for Pakistani blister-pack converters that source the material from China. Trade coverage notes the measure may shift demand towards domestic foil suppliers, although importers could also absorb the cost or pass it on. Because the duty is provisional, its final level and duration will depend on the commission's final determination, and businesses should not treat 9.03% as a settled long-term rate.

Sources: Packaging News Daily, EChemi, National Tariff Commission investigations index.