ISLAMABAD
\nThe second vessel under the Afghan Transit Trade has arrived at Gwadar Port, carrying 20,000 metric tons of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer, Gwadar Pro reported on Monday.
\nThe development marks a significant step toward regional connectivity and economic integration, enhancing Afghanistan\u2019s access to global markets through Pakistan\u2019s deep-sea port.
\n\u201cGwadar is emerging as a dependable maritime gateway. This milestone reflects international confidence in Pakistan\u2019s port infrastructure and reaffirms our commitment to making Gwadar a hub of regional trade,\u201d said Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs.
\nGwadar Port was first operationalized for Afghan transit trade in April 2020 under the Afghanistan\u2013Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA 2010), with the arrival of SIBULK TRADITION carrying 16,000 tonnes of urea in May 2020.
\nThe cargo was bagged and transported in sealed trucks to Afghanistan, marking the start of seaborne trade to the landlocked country. Between July and April of FY 2024\u201325, Pakistan\u2019s exports to Afghanistan surged to USD 1.138 billion, a 31% increase from the previous year; while imports from Afghanistan rose 14% to USD 557 million, according to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
\nTahir Khan, a senior journalist and Pak-Afghan affairs expert, told Gwadar Pro that Gwadar offers Afghan traders a shorter and more cost-effective route compared to Karachi ports. \u201cGwadar is closer to Chaman and experiences less traffic congestion than the Karachi-Torkham corridor, saving both time and cost,\u201d he said.
\nAccording to Tahir Khan, \u201cSince both Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan, the recent use of Gwadar Port by Afghan traders should be seen as an important development in this context.\u201d
\nPakistan has also replaced the requirement of bank guarantees with insurance guarantees for bulk cargo in Afghan transit trade through Gwadar. This move specifically benefits imports of DAP, wheat, sugar, and other essential commodities.
\n\u201cThis measure will help the Afghan business community and consumers and is a step towards ease of business through Pakistan,\u201d said Muhammad Sadiq, Pakistan\u2019s Special Representative in Afghanistan, in an earlier statement posted on his official X.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The second vessel under the Afghan Transit Trade has arrived at Gwadar Port, carrying 20,000 metric tons of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer, Gwadar Pro reported on Monday. The development marks a significant step toward regional connectivity and economic integration, enhancing Afghanistan\u2019s access to global markets through Pakistan\u2019s deep-sea port. \u201cGwadar is emerging as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-484702","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n