Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The closure of major Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossings has reached 300 days, disrupting bilateral trade, raising transport costs and pushing Afghan businesses to rely more heavily on alternative trade routes.
The crossings, including Torkham in Nangarhar, Spin Boldak in Kandahar, Kharlachi in Paktia, Angoor Adda in Paktika and Ghulam Khan in Khost, were closed to trade and transit on October 12, 2025, amid worsening tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment says the prolonged closures have increased the cost and time required to transport goods. Afghan traders have increasingly turned to routes through northern Afghanistan, while Pakistani businesses have lost access to Afghanistan as a transit corridor toward Central Asian markets.
Khan Jan Alokozay, a board member of the chamber, said disruptions at Pakistan’s Karachi port had added to the difficulties facing Afghan importers and exporters.
The economic consequences are significant. World Bank data cited in the report shows that bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan had reached nearly $1.2 billion before the border closures. During the six-month period referenced in the data, Afghanistan exported about $318.9 million worth of goods to Pakistan and imported approximately $832 million.
The closures have particularly affected Afghan exports that depend on relatively short and established routes to Pakistani markets, including fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, spices, coal, cotton, talc and other natural products.
Pakistani exports to Afghanistan have also been affected. These include grains, medicines, sugar, construction materials, plastics and aluminium products.
The disruption has also increased pressure on Afghan consumers as longer and more expensive transport routes raise the cost of some imported goods. Traders and residents have reported increases in the prices of basic commodities, including rice.
At the same time, Afghanistan is accelerating efforts to diversify its trade routes and markets. India has emerged as its largest export destination, accounting for 34% of Afghanistan’s total exports in June, according to World Bank data cited in the report.
The prolonged border closures are therefore reshaping Afghanistan’s regional trade patterns while imposing costs on businesses and consumers in both countries. For Afghanistan, the restrictions have increased the urgency of reducing dependence on Pakistani transit routes; for Pakistan, they have reduced access to Afghan demand and an important corridor toward Central Asian markets.
The dispute has consequently developed beyond a border-management issue into a significant economic challenge for traders, transporters and consumers on both sides.