Pakistan’s Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has called on Islamabad to take steps to reopen the key Afghanistan-Pakistan Highway for trade and transportation.

In a statement issued this week, SCCI President Fazal Moqeem said trade has been brought to a halt due to the closure of Afghanistan-Pakistan trade routes over the past few months. 

He said the mutual trade volume and transit trade had dropped to an alarming level owing to the closure of the trade route. As a result, trade has shifted from Pakistan to Iran and Central Asian Republics.

The SCCI chief feared bilateral trade would grind to a halt completely if Islamabad fails to resolve the issue urgently. 

“This will not only be detrimental to the national economy but also trigger unemployment owing to the closure of business and trade,” said Muqeem.

Meanwhile, Zahidullah Shinwari, a businessman, stated that the bilateral trade volume level had decreased substantially, and that traders on both sides have incurred huge financial losses. 

Shinwari said local people and travellers also faced enormous hardships due to the blockaded highway. He called on Islamabad to urgently resolve the problem. 

Shinwari called for a solution to be found to the issue with mutual consensus and negotiation.

The ongoing trade challenges, including route closures, rising customs tariffs, and what Afghanistan sees as Pakistan’s disregard for established trade agreements, have had a significant impact on Afghan exports. 

For Afghanistan, Pakistan remains one of the most important trading partners. The two countries share long-standing economic ties, with Afghanistan relying heavily on Pakistan as a market for its agricultural products, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and dry fruits.

The reduction in Afghan exports comes at a critical time when the country’s economy is in dire need of stability and growth. The disruption of trade routes and the imposition of tariffs further complicate efforts to strengthen Afghanistan’s trade sector and promote economic recovery.

The export of petrol from Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan in the first seven months of this year has increased substantially compared to the same period last year. 

According to Kyrgyzstan’s Statistics Department, Bishkek exported more than 700,000 liters of petrol worth $8.9 million to Afghanistan between January and July this year. 

According to Aki Press, Kyrgyzstan exported just over 19 thousand liters of petrol to Afghanistan in the same period last year.

The average price per liter of petrol exported from Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan is $0.05. 

Afghanistan imported 84% of Kyrgyzstan’s total petrol exports.

The third Imam Abu Hanifa Expo and Trade Fair was officially opened in Kabul on Sunday by Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar who said the aim is to bring local and foreign investors together. 

The expo will last for seven days and is showcasing a variety of locally manufactured products and services at 700 booths. The opening was meanwhile attended by high-ranking officials, representatives of neighboring countries and business owners. 

Baradar said: "The good thing about this exhibition is that domestic and foreign traders and investors exchange views and these exhibitions play an important role in improving the market situation for producers and solving the problems of traders."

While appreciating the activities of businessmen and investors in Afghanistan, he reminded them that there are good investment opportunities for foreign countries and businesses in Afghanistan.

Nooruddin Azizi, the acting minister of commerce and industry, said at the opening that such events are a good opportunity to introduce  industrial and production capacities of countries to foreign investors.

Azizi said the main objective of the current expo is to strengthen domestic markets, market products and expand the interaction of the countries of the region with the Islamic Emirate.

Yunus Momand, the deputy chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said the expo was an opportunity to exchange experiences and introduce Afghan products to foreign traders.