Pakistani Media Reports Record Increase in Sugar Exports to Afghanistan
Pakistani media outlets reported that in the first four months of the fiscal year, sugar exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan have increased by 15 times.
According to these reports, Pakistan exported sugar worth more than $91 million to Afghanistan from July to October 2024. However, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that during the first ten months of this year, sugar imports from Pakistan totaled $44 million, with overall trade between the two countries reaching $1.938 billion during this period.
Out of the total trade volume, $637 million came from Afghanistan’s exports.
Akundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, told : “Afghanistan’s trade with Pakistan during the first ten months of 2024 totaled $1.938 billion, including approximately $637 million in exports and $1.301 billion in imports. Sugar imports from Pakistan during this period amounted to a total weight of 216,000 tons, valued at more than $44 million.”
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PAJCCI) has said that restrictions imposed by Pakistan on trade with Afghanistan consistently have negative impacts on both exports and imports.
Khanjan Alokozai, head of the PAJCCI, said: “The Islamic Emirate has increased tariffs on 22 types of Pakistani goods by 100%. For example, the tariff on milk was previously 2.5%, but now it is 50%. They increased tariffs on our goods, and we did the same in response.”
Zalmai Azimi, a trader, commented on the level of trade with Pakistan: “The level of trade, including imports and exports between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has decreased, and there are many reasons for this, including problems created by Pakistan.”
This comes as border tensions, the closure of shared trade routes, and increased tariffs by Pakistan on Afghanistan’s exports have led to a decline in trade during the current solar year.
