Pakistan Halts Coal & Soapstone Imports From Afghanistan

The import of coal and soapstone from Afghanistan to Pakistan has been halted, according to reports in Pakistani media.

The suspension, which began on Monday, remains in effect. One of the key reasons cited is a new requirement for importers to provide a certificate of origin.

Importers transporting goods from Afghanistan to Pakistan said the sudden halt in customs clearance has left hundreds of vehicles loaded with coal and soapstone stranded on the Afghan side of the border.

The Dawn newspaper reported Thursday, 5 June, that the sudden enforcement of the certificate of origin requirement at customs clearance had triggered “mini panic” among coal and talc importers, many of whom had planned to complete their transactions ahead of Eid al-Adha.

Mujjebullah Shinwari, head of the Customs Clearing Agents Association at Torkham, told Dawn that efforts are under way to secure at least a one-time exemption from higher authorities in Islamabad to clear shipments already at the Torkham crossing and to offer some relief to importers and transporters ahead of the holiday.

Shinwari said there had been no violations in the import of coal and talc, noting that the minerals had been sourced from various regions of Afghanistan and that importers had previously provided sufficient documentation to Torkham customs officials.

A coal importer at Torkham noted that prior to the new restrictions, around 300 to 350 vehicles were crossing daily into Pakistan.

Critics of unregulated and poorly supervised coal extraction have described the cheap export of Afghan coal as a form of plundering the country’s natural resources.

In late 2023, the Taliban administration announced that 1,000 tons of coal were being extracted daily in northern Afghanistan and sold to traders.