Pakistan lacks concrete plan to tackle impact of fresh US sanctions on Iran trade: report

Pakistan has not yet drawn up a concrete plan to deal with possible effects of fresh US restrictions on Iran, Profit reported, citing Business Recorder. Commerce Ministry officials said Islamabad is monitoring the situation, but the Economic D-Day plan that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled on August 24 has not yet taken effect. It envisages prohibitive secondary sanctions against nations that deal with Iran.

Pakistan's official exports to Iran are minimal, but informal bilateral trade is put at about $800 million a year, much of it moving through unofficial channels and barter deals. Trade figures for June and July 2026 show that 1,209 rice-laden trucks went through Gabd, while 1,121 mango-laden trucks used Taftan. Officials also pointed to attacks on cargo vehicles along the Quetta to Taftan road in Balochistan, even when convoys are escorted by Frontier Corps.

On the formal side, Pakistan has waived the financial instrument requirement for imports from Iran and for CARS-bound cargo via the Iran corridor. Meanwhile, the 10th Pak-Iran Joint Trade Committee met in Islamabad from August 3 to 5, 2026, and agreed on road transit arrangements, round-the-clock customs at all borders and better rail links. Officials warned that tighter US sanctions could complicate corridor trade and heighten risks for exporters and border traders, adding that Islamabad needs a contingency strategy.