Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Falls by 93% Since Taliban Takeover
Statistics on transit trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan reveal a historic 93% drop in trade volume following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Previously, transit trade through Pakistan reached approximately 89,000 containers valued at five billion dollars before 2021. In the last fiscal year, however, it plummeted to just 11,592 containers worth 367 million dollars.
This steep decline coincides with claims by Shafeez Azam, head of economic relations at the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who stated that Afghanistan has reduced its dependence on the Pakistani market and is shifting towards new regional and global markets. In a message on X, he noted that between 2021 and 2024, about 60% of Afghanistan’s exports were destined for Pakistan. But with certain trade routes closed, focus has moved towards Central Asia, Russia, China, India, Gulf countries, and Europe.
According to Azam, these new markets have stricter standards, forcing Afghan traders to improve the quality and packaging of their exports—a change he described as “positive.”
Meanwhile, some analysts suggest the trade decline with Pakistan began even before border closures. They observe that the Taliban administration has been directing trade routes towards Iran and Central Asia. A World Bank report indicates Iran has become Afghanistan’s largest source of imports with a 31.3% share, and Iranian transit routes now account for about 48.6% of the country’s imports.
