Overview
- Crossings have been closed since October 11, halting all transit and trade and stranding traffic at Torkham and Chaman.
- Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue suspended customs clearance at Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi and Angoor Adda and temporarily pulled most staff for security.
- Roughly 5,000 containers are stuck on both sides and exporters report daily spoilage of about 500 vegetable containers, according to trader representatives.
- Estimated losses run to about $1 million per day, with a separate industry estimate of Rs1.6 billion per day and knock-on disruptions to Central Asian routes.
- Tomato prices in Pakistan have jumped over 400% to around PKR 600 per kilogram, with shortages also reported for apples and grapes that typically come from Afghanistan.