Pak-Afghan Trade Falls By 16% in December 2023

Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan witnessed a 16 percent year-on-year (YoY) decline in December 2023. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, bilateral trade between the neighboring countries took a 28 percent hit in the last month of 2023. According to details, the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan was recorded at $125.2 million during December. Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan totaled $86.4 million in December, declining by 7 percent YoY from $92.7 million recorded in December 2022, and 22 percent MoM from total exports of $111 million in November 2023. In December 2023, imports plummeted by 39 percent MoM and 32 percent YoY to $38.8 million. The reasons behind this sharp decline in bilateral trade remain unclear, but experts suggest that various factors, including geopolitical tensions and economic challenges, could be contributing to the unfavorable trend.