Pakistan relaxes the restriction on gold trade around the world.

On Saturday, the federal government relaxed the prohibition on gold imports and exports. This was done with the permission of the federal cabinet.

The Ministry of Commerce sent out a notice saying that the Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) that was put on hold for international gold commerce was back in effect.

The government has also changed the rules that govern the import and export of jewelry and other valuable goods.

The ban on gold trade started in May 2025 after people complained about gold smuggling. On May 6, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce put the SRO on hold for 60 days to control commerce. But the federal cabinet has now approved lifting the prohibition on gold imports and exports after several months with no major reports of smuggling.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics says that there was no gold imported in June and July 2025. In May, only nine kilograms, worth $927,000, were brought in. Most of the things in this cargo were despatched before the SRO was put on hold. On the other hand, gold imports in July 2024 were worth a record $2.2 million.

Atif Ikram Sheikh, the president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and business (FPCCI), has already asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to quickly bring back SRO 760 to preserve the jewelry export business.

Sheikh said that many exporters had previously acquired gold under legitimate contracts and turned it into jewelry, but the SRO’s sudden suspension messed up the supply chain and hurt buyers’ confidence around the world.