Afghan border closure drags Pakistan-Central Asia trade down 51% to $219 million in FY26

Profit reported that Pakistan's trade with five Central Asian nations, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, slid 50.62% in FY26 to $219.125 million. The figure had been $443.712 million a year earlier. Annual commerce with these republics through Afghanistan had been put at $400 million to $500 million, and the disruption to those transit routes after crossings were shut has placed a heavy limit on regional business.

Imports bore most of the damage: they shrank by 88.35%, landing at $28.547 million compared with $244.990 million before. Outbound shipments held up comparatively well, with a 4.1% dip bringing them to $190.578 million, against $198.722 million in FY25.

Kazakhstan stayed the leading partner of the five, with $104.313 million in trade after a 54.22% decline. Uzbekistan ranked next at $87.732 million, having already put a transit trade pact with Pakistan into force and begun bringing in goods under it. Tajikistan registered the deepest drop at 69.56%, while Turkmenistan slid 61.36%, and Kyrgyzstan alone grew, by 6.66%.