Transit trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has plunged by 66 percent, amounting to a loss of over $1.49 billion between July 2024 and February 2025, according to a report by The Nation, citing official sources.
Afghan imports from Pakistan fell sharply by 67 percent, dropping from $2.1 billion in the previous fiscal year to just $729 million during the current period. Afghan exports to Pakistan also declined by 46 percent, decreasing from $46 million to $25 million.
The total volume of bilateral transit trade shrank from $2.24 billion last year to only $754 million this fiscal year. In February 2025 alone, year-on-year trade dropped by 7 percent, falling from $82 million to $77 million. From July 2024 to January 2025, the cumulative decline stood at 69 percent, though the rate of contraction eased slightly to 66 percent in February.
This follows a 59 percent drop in the previous fiscal year, and reports from March 2024 indicated that Afghanistan’s transit trade through Pakistan had declined by a staggering 84 percent over the course of one year.
The dramatic decrease comes amid escalating tensions and frequent disruptions at key border crossings, including the Torkham crossing—one of the main trade routes between the two countries—which was closed for nearly a month, further hindering commercial flow.
