India’s imports from Pak decline to zero while exports continue: Data
Last year, in 2023-24, India imported goods, particularly some agricultural commodities, worth $3 million from Pakistan.
India’s imports from Pakistan fell to zero in the first five months of the current financial year even it exported merchandise worth $235 million, particularly sugar and pharmaceuticals, to the neighbouring country during the period, government data showed on Sunday.
Last year, in 2023-24, India imported goods, particularly some agricultural commodities, worth $3 million from Pakistan. But imports from across the border through official channels are now zero, an official said, quoting the data.
“Trade and terror do not go simultaneously. If Pakistan needs good trade relations with India, it must stop exporting terror. India is a reliable supplier of goods and services for all major global economies. Hence, most of the countries want to have better bilateral relations with India. Pakistan is left out because of its own deeds,” the official, who did not wish to be named, said.
Indo-Pak bilateral merchandise trade fell sharply after 2018-19. India revoked the most favoured nation (MFN) status accorded to Pakistan in February 2019 and imposed high tariffs on Pakistani merchandise because of Islamabad’s anti-India activities. India had accorded MFN status to Pakistan in 1996 without having a reciprocal arrangement that allowed Pakistani goods at concessional tariffs.
In August, 2019, Pakistan took several measures to downgrade bilateral relations with India. One of the decisions was to unilaterally suspend bilateral trade with India. However, in the following month, Pakistan relaxed the ban to some extent by allowing imports of a few items such as therapeutic products from India, a second official said.
“Bilateral trade was hit since then and it deteriorated further because of Pakistani support to terror activities in India,” he said. In financial year 2018-19, India exported goods worth $2.07 billion to Pakistan and imported Pakistani merchandise worth $495 million. In the following financial year, Indian exports to Pakistan fell by 60.5% to $817 million and Pakistani exports to India plunged by 97.2% to $14 million.
India used to import mineral oil, copper, edible fruits and nuts, salt, sulphur, plastering materials, cotton, raw hides and skins. It exported cotton, chemicals, prepared animal fodder, vegetables, plastic articles, dairy products, pharmaceuticals and sugar to Pakistan.
Officials said Pakistan does not have any strategic significance for India’s economic growth. “New Delhi’s consistent position has been that India desires normal relations with all its neighbours and is willing to addressing all issues, if any, bilaterally in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence. The onus is on Islamabad to create such a conducive atmosphere,” the second official said.
“Since 2014 the Modi government took several attempts to have a good relationship with Pakistan. But, Islamabad failed all such attempts by resorting to anti-India activities,” he said. In May 2014, the newly elected Modi government had invited the then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif to its swearing-in ceremony. The two PMs then met in Ufa in July next year. India’s foreign minister visited Islamabad in December 2015 and proposed a comprehensive bilateral dialogue. But, Islamabad engineered a cross-border terror strike on the Pathankot airbase in January 2016 and an attack on an army camp in Uri seven months later. It also facilitated Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) to attack a convoy of Indian forces in Pulwama in February 2019.
