Pakistani media: Annual trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has dropped to $1 billion

Pakistani media has recently reported that due to frequent border closures and lack of coordination in trade policies, the volume of annual trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has dropped from $2.5 billion to about $1 billion per year.
Pakistan’s Geo News quoted Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, vice president of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, as warning that continuing this trend could have more detrimental consequences for the economic relations between the two countries.
Mr. Sarhadi further emphasized that Pakistan should prioritize effective access to Central Asian markets to revive regional trade.
Part of the report states that Pakistan exports goods such as cement, rice, medicines, flour, sugar and vegetables to Afghanistan, while its imports from Afghanistan mainly include fruits and some agricultural products. Political instability in Afghanistan and ongoing tensions at border crossings have been cited as major factors disrupting trade between the two countries.
Geo News added that in February last year, the closure of the borders due to political tensions caused millions of rupees in tax losses to both countries.
The report also said that thousands of drivers and workers active on the Karachi-Torkham trade route lost their jobs for several days.
Economic experts have warned that the continuation of these disruptions will not only put pressure on border communities but will also eliminate potential economic opportunities for countries in the region.