ISLAMABAD  -  The Afghan Transit Trade has recorded a huge decline of 69 percent during the first seven months of the ongoing fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of the FY2023-24, mainly due to the anti-smuggling drive and import restrictions by Pakistan.

Afghan Transit Trade has declined by $1.484 billion during the first seven months (July-January) of the FY 2024-25 as compared to the same period of the previous fiscal, official source told The Nation here Monday. Afghan Transit Trade has decreased from $2.161 billion during July to January of FY2023-24 to $677 million of the same period of the ongoing fiscal, the source added.

The import (forward cargo) under Afghan Transit Trade declined by 69 percent from $2.119 billion to $ 656 million, while the export has recorded a decline of 60 percent, from $42 million to $21 million, the source revealed.  This decrease is primarily attributed to Pakistan’s anti-smuggling efforts and import restrictions.

Notably, in the previous fiscal also, the Afghan Transit Trade had recorded a huge decrease of 59 percent from $7.095 billion in 2022-23 to $2.887 billion during 2023-24.