India’s imports from Pakistan are set to drop to zero following a newly imposed trade ban by the central government, noted Ajay Srivastava, Founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), in a recent statement.
“India’s already minuscule imports from Pakistan–barely $ 0.5 million a year–will now drop to zero. No one in India will miss anything except perhaps Himalayan pink salt (Sendha Namak), extracted from salt deposits of Pakistan,” Srivastava told ANI.
This ban comes against the backdrop of long-standing trade restrictions. Following the Pulwama attack in 2019, India had imposed 200 per cent tariffs on Pakistani goods. As a result, trade between April 2024 and January 2025 dwindled to just $ 0.42 million, restricted mostly to niche items like figs ($ 78,000), basil and rosemary herbs ($ 18,856), and Himalayan pink salt.
“India doesn’t depend on Pakistani goods, so the economic impact is minimal. However, Pakistan still needs Indian products and may continue accessing them through third countries through recorded and unrecorded routes,” Srivastava explained further.
Official data from the High Commission of India in Islamabad lists India’s imports from Pakistan as including copper, edible fruits and nuts, cotton, salt, sulphur, organic chemicals, mineral fuels, plastics, wool, glassware, and raw hides.
On the flip side, India’s exports to Pakistan cover a wide range of goods such as cotton, organic chemicals, food products, animal fodder, edible vegetables, plastic articles, man-made filament, coffee, tea, spices, dyes, oil seeds, dairy, and pharmaceuticals.
While direct trade is virtually frozen, GTRI estimates that over $ 10 billion worth of Indian goods still reach Pakistan through third-country trade routes. Ports in Dubai, Singapore, and Colombo are reportedly being used to reroute goods, circumventing official bans.
The fresh import ban was part of a broader set of measures taken by the Indian government following the Pahalgam attack. These included the closure of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, the suspension of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals—who were given 40 hours to leave India, and a reduction in diplomatic staff at the High Commissions of both nations.
India had also announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, a landmark agreement signed in 1960.
