ISLAMABAD: The bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has surged to $741 million during the first four months of current fiscal year.
According to details, trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan is growing rapidly as trade volume surged to $741 million from July to October 2022.
The bilateral trade between both countries was $451 million during Jul-October in 2021, depicting an increase of 64% in the July-Oct 2022 comparable to the same months of 2021. Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan remained $333 million in July-Oct 2022, whereas Pakistan’s imports from Afghanistan were $408 million in July-Oct 2022.
An increase of 204% witnessed in the export of pharma products, 53% rice, 40% animal/veg fats & oils, 142% plastics & its products, 87% food preparations, 133% chewing gum, 172% oilcake & other solid residues, 89% aluminum & its products, 61% wood and articles and 22% increase in export of fruits & vegetables witnessed in first four months in the same period.
On the other hand, an increase of 65% in imports were also witnessed in Coal, 60% Cotton and 282% in onion in the same period.
Meanwhile, Pakistan also imported Grapes, Fresh strawberries, Tomatoes, Apples, Waste and Scrap of Iron and Steel, Cucumbers, Dried apricots, Feldspar, and Zinc ores from Afghanistan in July to October 2022.
Sources said that there are some challenges in Pakistan and Afghanistan trade including slow clearance on entry/exit points due to infrastructure and congestion of trucks and little space at border points especially Torkham.
Controls/ban on key products of our export interest like sugar & wheat flour and slump in cement exports due to no developmental projects by Taliban government and low-cost Iranian cement.
The Afghan government has opened its borders with Iran, Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan due to which their exports are on rise and importantly, China has become the 2nd largest export partner of Afghanistan.
