Due to recent clashes between India and Pakistan, Afghanistan’s dry fruit exports have dropped by 70 percent.

Afghanistan exports goods worth nearly USD 1.5 billion annually to India and Pakistan. However, the current political tensions between these two countries are putting Afghanistan at serious risk of losing two of its most important markets for domestic products.

According to official figures, Afghanistan conducted trade with India and Pakistan worth USD 3.246 billion last year alone.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, stated: “In the solar year 1403, the total trade volume between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reached USD 2.356 billion, of which USD 744 million were exports and over USD 1.512 billion were imports.”

Due to these tensions, exports of Afghan goods to India via the Wagah border—worth about USD 500 million—have come to a standstill. The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) warns that the continuation of this situation will significantly harm regional trade, especially Afghanistan's.

The ACCI regards both India and Pakistan as vital markets for Afghan products due to their geographic proximity and their acceptance of goods that meet Afghanistan’s current production standards.

Khan Jan Alokozai, a member of the ACCI board, explained: “If the tensions escalate—though they haven’t yet reached the point of direct war or ground conflict—their effects are already negative. If the situation worsens, we believe not only India and Pakistan will be harmed, but all neighboring countries, especially those in the region like Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran, and even the Gulf, will face consequences.”

The Afghanistan Dry Fruit Exporters Union has confirmed that these developments have caused a 70 percent decline in dry fruit exports, inflicting millions of dollars in losses on exporters.

Khalid Rahmani, spokesperson for the union, noted: “The closure of the Wagah border has caused a 70% decrease in Afghanistan’s dry fruit exports, resulting in millions of dollars in losses to traders and farmers. This has caused serious concern as we approach the 1404 harvest season.”

Currently, more than 162 containers of Afghan export goods—most of them dry fruit—are stuck at the Wagah border crossing.