National Tariff Commission Hiring: Expert Tariff Classification & Policy

National Tariff Commission; Pakistan; On-site; PKR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000; Part time

Job summary

National Tariff Commission invites applications for Expert Tariff Classification & Policy (Lump-sum pay). The role requires deep expertise in WCO HS classification, tariff policy, and budget analysis, with at least 15 years in customs tariff or related fields.

Part-time consulting with in-person Islamabad presence is expected. The candidate will advise the Tariff Policy Centre, shape commodity profiles, and perform complex tariff analyses across multiple sectors, ensuring regulatory alignment

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (or equivalent 16/18 years of education) in International Trade, Economics, Public Policy, Customs Administration, International Trade Law, Supply Chain Management, Chemical / Industrial Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Specialized international certifications in WCO HS classification, Rules of Origin, or Tariff Architecture will be considered an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Advise, guide, and collaborate with Head of the Tariff Policy Centre and technical desks across Tariff Classification & Nomenclature, PCT classifications, and tariff line structuring.
• Analyze tariff headings, industrial value chains, and concordance to ISIC/BEC/SITC; ensure alignment with regulatory measures (SPS, TBT, environment).
• Lead design and maintenance of HS concordance tables; reconcile data across PSW/WeBOC and UN Comtrade classifications.
• Evaluate tariff concession structures under PTAs and assist in budget scrutiny and policy proposals.

Skills

WCO HS Expertise

Concordance & Statistics

Fiscal Modeling

Tariff Classification

Policy Advisory

Executive Writing

Education

Master’s degree in International Trade

Job description

About the Job

National Tariff Commission has announced 1 vacancy for the post of Expert Tariff Classification & Policy (Lump-sum pay).

Job Details

• Department / Organisation: National Tariff Commission
• Post: Expert Tariff Classification & Policy
• Grade: Lump-sum pay
• Job type: Contract
• Vacancies: 1
• Qualification: Required Academic Qualifications & Professional Experience: Master’s degree (or equivalent 16/18 years of education) in International Trade, Economics, Public Policy, Customs Administration, International Trade Law, Supply Chain Management, Chemical / Industrial Engineering, or a closely related discipline from an HEC-recognized national or reputable international university. Specialized international certifications in WCO Harmonized System classification, Rules of Origin, or Tariff Architecture (from WCO, WTO, ITC, or recognized customs academies) will be considered a decisive advantage. Experience: Minimum of 15 years of progressive, demonstrable professional experience in customs tariff administration, international trade policy, classification jurisprudence, or industrial tariff rationalization. In-depth practical experience working within or extensively advising customs administrations (e.g., Pakistan Customs / FBR), national tariff authorities, line ministries (Commerce, Industries, Finance), multilateral organizations (WTO, WCO, World Bank, ADB, UNCTAD), or leading industrial advisory groups. Direct, proven experience in formulating, reviewing, or negotiating the Customs Tariff Schedules (Pakistan Customs Tariff / 1st and 5th Schedules) and official Federal Budget Finance Bills. Technical Skills & Domain expertise Exemplary WCO HS Expertise: Comprehensive mastery of General Rules of Interpretation (GRIs), Legal Notes, Explanatory Notes, and classification precedents across all 97 HS Chapters. Industrial Value-Chain understanding: Proven ability to dissect industrial production processes, input-output ratios, and value-addition stages from basic commodities to complex processed / engineered goods. Concordance & Statistical Systems: Hands-on understanding of concordance crosswalks across HS editions and mapping HS codes to ISIC, BEC, and CPC schemas. Fiscal & Economic Modeling: Familiarity with effective protection calculations, static revenue estimation, and partial equilibrium trade simulation tools (e.g., WITS-SMART). Communication & Synthesis: Superior technical writing skills with demonstrated capability to translate dense tariff data into crisp, executive-level decision briefs.
• Terms of Reference (TOR) Expert Tariff Classification & Policy Scope of Work & Key Responsibilities The Strategic Advisor shall advise, guide, and collaborate directly with the Head of the Tariff Policy Centre and technical desks across the following functional domains: Tariff Classification & Nomenclature Preparing format for development of each commodity or PCT code’s profile in the digital System for a 360 degree view thereof of its tariff and trade flows. Provide expert technical inputs on PCT classifications based on WCO HS Nomenclature, and its concordance/ correlations with HS versions and other codes recommended by UN-Stat, like SITC, BEC, ISIC. Analyze complex tariff headings arising in domestic industry processing, customs and border agencies’ clearance, and tariff rationalization proposals. Structure and advise on the creation, deletion, or splitting of national PCT tariff lines to address specific industrial value additions without introducing administrative loopholes, misclassification risks, or trade facilitation bottlenecks. Align national tariff line splits with specialized regulatory measures, including sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS), technical barriers to trade (TBT), environmental compliance, public health, and green industrial transition benchmarks (e.g., NEV Policy inputs). Value-Chain Mapping, Cascading & Anomaly Resolution Map sectoral value chains across primary, intermediate, and finished manufacturing stages (e.g., Basic Raw Materials → Intermediates / Sub-assemblies → Finished Goods) across key industrial sectors (textiles, automotive, engineering, basic chemicals, polymers, steel, pharmaceuticals, and electronics). Evaluate Effective Rates of Protection and domestic value addition to eliminate inverted tariff structures. Assess the technical validity of industrial concessionary regimes, including the 5th Schedule to the Customs Act, manufacturing bond regimes, and special concessionary SROs. Formulate concrete structural roadmaps for the progressive migration of verified concessionary items into standard statutory 1st Schedule headings. Concordance & Statistical Harmonization Lead the technical design, verification, and maintenance of concordance tables across successive WCO HS editions (for current and upcoming WCO revisions). Reconcile concordance discrepancies between trade data schemas, customs transactional databases (PSW/WeBOC), and international statistical reporting nomenclatures (UN Comtrade, SITC, ISIC, BEC, and GTAP classification systems). Ensure that longitudinal econometric time-series data used in CGE and Partial Equilibrium (PE/WITS-SMART) modeling within NTC maintain unbroken historical consistency despite periodic HS revisions. Preferential Trade Regimes, FTAs & Rules of Origin Evaluate the tariff concession structures, exclusion lists, and phase-out schedules under Pakistan’s bilateral and multilateral trade agreements (e.g., CPFTA Phase-II, SAFTA, Pak-Sri Lanka FTA, Pak-Malaysia CEPA, Pak-Turkey MFTA). Analyze Rules of Origin, product-specific rules, value-addition criteria, and tariff margin differentials to identify deflection risks, unauthorized transshipment pathways, or domestic industry exposure. Advise on tariff defensive safeguards and concession recalibrations required during active FTA renegotiations and bilateral trade reviews. Budgetary Proposal Scrutiny & Impact Analysis Scrutinize pre-budget tariff proposals submitted by domestic manufacturing associations, chambers of commerce, and line ministries during the annual Federal Budget formulation cycle. Evaluate the impact of proposed tariff impacts, and formulate technical inputs for NTC’s Regulatory Impact Assessments submitted to the Tariff Policy Board (TPB) and the Federal Cabinet: Sectoral Impact: Domestic production cost, capacity expansion, landed cost parity, and consumer pricing. Trade Impact: Direct border customs revenue collection vs. dynamic indirect domestic tax yield (sales and corporate income taxes). Macroeconomic Impact: Export competitiveness, anti-export bias reduction, and import substitution feasibility. Work Arrangement & Time Commitment Part-Time Consulting: The Expert shall work on a part-time basis, providing expert analytical and strategic inputs. Hybrid Operational Structure: Online / Remote: Works via virtual collaboration through NTC’s digital portals. In-Person: Mandatory physical presence at the NTC Headquarters in Islamabad for at least one (1) business day per week for core strategy sessions, stakeholder consultations, and direct briefings with the Head of TPC and Commission leadership. Peak Workload Deployment: During institutional surge periods-specifically the Pre-Budget & Budget Evaluation Cycle (February – June), National Tariff Policy reviews, or urgent Tariff Policy Board sittings-the Advisor shall be available for expanded in-person working sessions at NTC on short notice as officially requested by the Commission. Eligibility & Core Competencies Academic Qualifications Master’s degree (or equivalent 16/18 years of education) in International Trade, Economics, Public Policy, Customs Administration, International Trade Law, Supply Chain Management, Chemical / Industrial Engineering, or a closely related discipline from an HEC-recognized national or reputable international university. Specialized international certifications in WCO Harmonized System classification, Rules of Origin, or Tariff Architecture (from WCO, WTO, ITC, or recognized customs academies) will be considered a decisive advantage. Professional Experience Minimum of 15 years of progressive, demonstrable professional experience in customs tariff administration, international trade policy, classification jurisprudence, or industrial tariff rationalization. In-depth practical experience working within or extensively advising customs administrations (e.g., Pakistan Customs / FBR), national tariff authorities, line ministries (Commerce, Industries, Finance), multilateral organizations (WTO, WCO, World Bank, ADB, UNCTAD), or leading industrial advisory groups. Direct, proven experience in formulating, reviewing, or negotiating the Customs Tariff Schedules (Pakistan Customs Tariff / 1st and 5th Schedules) and official Federal Budget Finance Bills. Technical Skills & Domain Mastery Exemplary WCO HS Expertise: Comprehensive mastery of General Rules of Interpretation (GRIs), Legal Notes, Explanatory Notes, and classification precedents across all 97 HS Chapters. Industrial Value-Chain understanding: Proven ability to dissect industrial production processes, input-output ratios, and value-addition stages from basic commodities to complex processed / engineered goods. Concordance & Statistical Systems: Hands-on understanding of concordance crosswalks across HS editions and mapping HS codes to ISIC, BEC, and CPC schemas. Fiscal & Economic Modeling: Familiarity with effective protection calculations, static border revenue estimation, and partial equilibrium trade simulation tools (e.g. WITS-SMART). Communication & Synthesis: Superior technical writing skills with demonstrated capability to translate dense tariff data into crisp, executive-level decision briefs.
• Location: Pakistan
• Last date to apply: 20 Nov 2026