Google to Open First Office in Pakistan
November 10, 2025
Air Link’s grand debut in laptop assembly has stumbled over the dullest yet deadliest hurdle in trade — a missing HS code. Without it, the company can’t import parts for local assembly and must settle for costlier, ready-made Acer laptops instead. It’s bureaucracy versus business — and right now, the paperwork is winning.
Read more: Xiaomi TVs Make Their Way to Pakistan
Airlink Communication Ltd’s entry into the laptop market, led by Acer’s E-series, has been delayed by a missing HS code, the classification required for importing semi-knocked-down (SKD) kits. With no customs category assigned for laptop parts, the firm cannot start local assembly and has temporarily shifted to importing completely built units (CBU) instead.
The company has already opened its first letter of credit for 10,000 CBU laptops, which are expected to arrive soon. However, CBU imports carry higher duties and slimmer gross margins of 16–18%, far below the profitability of assembling locally. Air Link says full-scale production will start “once these codes are assigned by the government.”
The SKD route is crucial for capturing local labour, qualifying for incentives, and improving cost efficiency — advantages lost under the CBU model. While waiting for approval, Air Link is expanding its smart TV lineup under the Xiaomi brand and preparing to launch Pakistan’s first Apple mono-store in Lahore.
The company insists the glitch is temporary but revealing: Pakistan’s localisation policy won’t reach its potential until bureaucratic kinks like missing HS codes are ironed out. For now, Air Link’s assembly line waits — stuck in customs limbo.
