After capturing power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have stopped all imports and exports from India, news agency ANI reported.
Director-General of Federation of Indian Export Organization (FIEO), Dr. Ajay Sahai on Thursday told ANI that the Taliban have halted freight transportation through Pakistan's transit route, thereby halting imports from India.
India and Afghanistan have a long history of cooperation, particularly in trade. It has a major stake in Afghanistan.
Dr, Sahai said that some items were shipped via the international North-South Corridor, while others were shipped via the Dubai route. Both these routes are working fine as of now, he added.
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Due to the unrest in Afghanistan, the FIEO is concerned that dairy fruit prices will rise in the next few days. Around 85% of India's dried fruit imports come from Afghanistan.
Sahai further said that currently, India exports sugar, pharmaceuticals, apparel, tea, coffee, spices and transmission towers to Afghanistan. The imports are related and largely dependent on dry fruits. India also imports a little gum and onions from the country, he added.
The FIEO DG expressed hope that over a period of time, Afghanistan will also realise that economic development is the only way to move forward.
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The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has adversely impacted the import-export trade in India -- the largest beneficiary of Afghanistan's exports -- a development that has left traders, especially those importing dry fruits, worried.
CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal advised the domestic exporters to remain alert and keep a sharp eye on the developments. He also urged the government that "it must take cognisance of it and help the traders in the event of facing a financial crisis."
(With agency inputs)
