The tension between India and Pakistan is escalating continuously since the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade i.e. DGFT has completely banned all types of imports from Pakistan.
At the same time, the Directorate General of Shipping has issued an order saying that Pakistani ships will not be allowed entry into Indian ports.
Since the Pahalgam attack, India and Pakistan have taken several steps against each other, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty by India. After this, both the countries have also closed the airspace for each other.
The DGFT issued a notification on May 2 saying, "It has been decided to ban all types of direct, indirect imports from Pakistan with immediate effect till further orders."
India's import and export to Pakistan
The main goods that India imports from Pakistan include copper, copper articles, cotton, fruits and nuts, salt, organic chemicals, wool.
On the other hand, the main goods that India exports to Pakistan include cotton, organic chemicals, coffee, tea, spices, plastic articles, dairy products, medicines, oilseeds and animal feed.
In terms of trade, India and Pakistan have never been very close historically. Especially in the case of sea trade, this relationship has been limited and symbolic.
Both countries do maritime trade through the Arabian Sea. But due to security reasons and diplomatic tensions, merchant ships have often stayed away from each other's ports.
Steady decline in trade between India and Pakistan
Figures also show that there has been a steady decline in trade between India and Pakistan in recent years.
According to the Union Commerce Ministry, India has imported goods worth four lakh 20 thousand dollars from Pakistan from April 2024 to January 2025.
Whereas in the same period of the previous year i.e. from April 2023 to January 2024, India had imported goods worth about 28 lakh 60 thousand dollars from Pakistan. This shows the decline in trade in just one year.
Talking about exports, India's exports to Pakistan have fallen to 447.65 million dollars from April 2024 to January 2025. While from April 2023 to January 2024, exports between India and Pakistan were 1.1 billion dollars. India's decision to ban imports from Pakistan is symbolic.
India had imposed 200 percent tariff after Pulwama attack
After the Pulwama attack in 2019, India had imposed 200 percent tariff on Pakistan. India's imports with Pakistan had come down to four lakh dollars and now it will become zero.
Prakash Kumar Pandey