Over 600 containers of transit trade cleared

ISLAMABAD: Over 600 containers of transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan were cleared on a daily basis during the current week.

Customs officials told Business Recorder here on Saturday that on an average basis around 600-650 containers have been cleared from Torkam border. The containers included transit trade cargo, import/export containers and Emery trucks coming back to Pakistan.

On August 24, around 659 trucks and containers crossed Pak-Afghan border including trucks, cargo and empty containers coming back from Afghanistan.

Out of total 659 containers, 363 containers moved from Pakistan to Afghanistan and 296 containers went from Afghanistan to Pakistan.

On August 25, around 709 transit containers moved between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The export cargo and containers moved from Pakistan to Afghanistan totaled at 375, whereas, 334 containers came from Afghanistan to Pakistan including 48 empty trucks.

Thousands of containers, trucks stuck in Afghanistan

On (September 2) Thursday, around 626 containers and trucks have been cleared under the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. A total of 351 containers moved from Afghanistan to Pakistan, while 275 trucks moved from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

On Friday (September 3), a total of 679 cargo including trucks were engaged in bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Out of this 679 containers, 285 export cargo and Afghan transit trade trucks moved from Pakistan to Afghanistan. On the other hand, around 394 trucks moved from Afghanistan to Pakistan.

Sources said last month over 2,000 to 3,000 empty containers and trucks are stuck on the Afghan border side. The empty containers were stuck at Jalalabad. These Pakistani containers came from Karachi port and went to Afghanistan through transit trade routes.

However, the empty containers are subjected to demurrages and other fee/charges beside shortage of containers at Karachi port.

Now, on an average basis 75-89 empty trucks are coming back from Afghanistan to Pakistan on a daily basis, which would improve the situation of availability of trucks in the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021