Afghans suspend fruit, vegetable exports to Pakistan

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Fresh fruit and vegetable exports from Afghanistan to Pakistan have been suspended for two weeks.

The Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce linked the suspension to a huge increase in customs tariffs by Islamabad.

In the wake of increased customs duty on fresh fruits and vegetables, many Afghans complain, the tariff hike had made the export of fresh fruits more expensive for them.

With the advent of Afghanistan’s export season, Pakistan ups the taxes, alleges Farooq Ahmadi, a businessman from the landlocked country.

“This time the duty was increased by 18 per cent on tax-exempt fruits and vegetables,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, Dawn quoted Pakistani businesspeople as confirming the tariff spike in the federal budget, which was announced on June 10.

However, they said they were unaware about the suspension of trade with Afghanistan. No information in this regard had been shared with them, the traders insisted.

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