Taliban seal Afghanistan-Pakistan land border trade route, imports from India hit

India’s apex body of exporters has said that the Taliban have stopped imports with India taking place through two terminals on the Pakistan-Afghanistan land border.

“Taliban have sealed the land-border trade route and stopped the movement of cargo on the transit route with Pakistan,” said Ajay Sahai, director-general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

However, trade happening through Dubai is not impacted.


India’s exports to Afghanistan in FY21 were $825 million while imports were $509 million. Fruit and nuts, and vegetable extracts are India’s largest exports from Kabul while the top exports are sugar and sugar confectionery, pharmaceutical products and apparel. New Delhi is Afghanistan’s largest market in South Asia.

Sahai said though industry is in a wait and watch mode, it is hopeful that the land routes will be opened soon as the Taliban tries to establish political legitimacy.

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan last week, two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal from
the country.