Kabul – Afghanistan and Pakistan trade have been showing a gradual recovery, with a 4% increase in the last month, primarily due to a surge in Afghanistan’s exports.

The bilateral trade value reached 143 million dollars in August of the year 2025, which is substantially better than the one recorded in the previous month.

According to reports, the growth can be credited to the imports of Pakistan to Afghanistan, which rose to $55 million in August, as opposed to the level in July, which was $37 million. It is a 16 percent increment per month and a 50 percent growth on a year-on-year basis.

Pakistan, on the other hand, experienced a 1% monthly and 13% annual decline in exports to Afghanistan.

Factors Behind the Growth

President of Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, Khan Jan Alokozai, linked the positive trend to the fact that Pakistan decided to cut taxes on certain trade products and the reopening of major trade routes.

He observed that these, together with the commencement of the fruit season in August, had provided a better environment for the Afghan exporters.

While business leaders welcomed the news, they stressed the need for further action to ensure long-term stability.

Omid Haidari, a businessman based in Afghanistan, called on Pakistan to reduce taxes and to make formal trade and transit policies in order to develop trust and offer improved facilities to traders.

Future Outlook and Infrastructure Needs

Mirwais Hajizada, Vice President of the Afghan Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, emphasized the role of infrastructural improvement. He indicated that the completion of a railway line between the two nations is critical to Afghan traders to deliver their products to foreign markets effectively.

The Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock has approved that there have been fewer trade issues and exports of fresh and dried fruit are going on at a steady pace using the Torkham, Ghulam Khan, and Dand Pathan routes.

Although small, this recent upswing is a good sign of bilateral relations. It indicates that, through concerted effort to deal with the remaining issues like taxes and infrastructure, the trade between these two countries could not only escalate but also affect the economic stability of the whole region.