Watch: Whom does a trade ban hurt more – India or Pakistan?
Pakistan made a grand statement that it was suspending all trade with India in response to India's measures following the Pahalgam attack on tourists by terrorists. How much does Pakistan do in terms of trade with India? What difference would it make to India? Whom would it hurt more?
Even before the Pahalgam horror unfolded, India-Pakistan trade had more than halved since 2018. Bilateral trade fell to $1.2 billion in 2024 from a peak of almost $3 billion 6 years prior. This followed a February-2019 terror attack carried out in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir by a suicide bomber resulting in the death of 40 CRPF personnel.
In the April 2024 to January 2025 period, India exported about $500 million worth of goods to Pakistan, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Pakistan imported mostly pharmaceuticals, chemicals, sugar and auto parts, while India's imports from its neighbour stood at just $0.42 million.
Script & Presentation: K. Bharat Kumar
Production: Shibu Narayan
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