Growing Security Issues Prompt Cross-Border Trade Suspension
Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) announced the temporary stoppage of Afghan Transit Trade as the border situation becomes increasingly tense and volatile. This suspension primarily affects the Torkham and Chaman routes.
Given the growing unrest in and around the border areas, the FBR justified the decision as one aimed to protect customs personnel, cargo, and transporters. Reports of rising insurgencies and illegal cross border trade have prompted the authorities to take dramatic measures to ensure trade operations are inactive until the situation stabilizes.
Fatal Trade Stagnation
Because of the border situation’s silence, hundreds of trade containers have been left unattended, which means valuable trade commodities have no been delivered. The longer the suspension lasts, importers and exporters will lose more, and the price of the commodities that will be made available will be more expensive.
The growing stagnation of trade will have more devastating impacts on Afghanistan that has no direct means of trade with the global markets. Prolonged stagnation impacts commercial relations more negatively.
