Afghan border closure inflicts USD4.5bn loss on Pak exporters: report

Business Recorder reported that the Pak-Afghan border closure, in place since mid-October 2025, has cost Pakistani exporters USD 4.5 billion, according to a Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) report. The study links the shutdown to a 28 percent fall in bilateral trade, from USD 2.46 billion in 2024 to USD 1.77 billion in 2025. Average export losses are put at USD 177 million a month, a 56 percent drop as of early 2026, though the report calls the figure an approximate indication rather than a verifiable estimate.

Logistics overheads now exceed the worth of the goods being moved. Charges for container rent, reefer fuel, demurrage and detention run between USD 150 and USD 200 per container each day. The Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCC) estimates a monthly loss of Rs50 billion, roughly USD 6 million a day, with 10,000 to 12,000 containers stuck at the main crossings in January and February 2026.

A Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) assessment, cited in the report, names Torkham and Chaman as the most time-consuming border crossings. Structural bottlenecks, anti-smuggling checks and weak infrastructure push up clearance costs, and conflict periods make delays worse. The report says these figures come from government sources, industry bodies and media, so they are indicative rather than independently verified.