Dry fruit traders in India worry over Taliban takeover in Afghanistan

New Delhi: The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has adversely impacted the import-export trade in India -- a development that has left traders, especially those importing dry fruits, worried.

Vineet Sethi of Verdure Herbals from Delhi's Khari Baoli said his dry fruits consignment comes via Attari (in Punjab), but it has been stopped for one and a half months already.

"We have not been in touch with people at that end for the last four days," said Rajendra Bhatia of Ramco Traders from Mumbai, who deals in dry fruits and imports from Afghanistan.

Bhatia said his firm imported a truckload of dry fruits per week by road and now he has no option but to wait and watch.

Like Sethi and Bhatia, there are scores of traders who have faced hardships over the last few days. For the last two days, cargo movement has totally stopped.

"We have been given to understand that shortly, they (Taliban) are taking a review because the Taliban have said that they will see that businesses will not be affected. Not sure, how long it will last, but as of now, this is the situation," said Ajay Sahay, Director-General and CEO of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

Afghan exports to India include dried raisins, walnut, almond, fig, pine nut, pistachios, dried apricot, and fresh fruits such as apricot, cherry, watermelon, and medicinal herbs. India's exports to Afghanistan include tea, coffee, pepper and cotton, toys, footwear, and various other consumable items, traders said.

Since most of India's exports either go through the international north-south trade corridor routes or Dubai (therefore) it has not been directly affected.

"But looking into the growing uncertainty, wherever the exporters have time for delivery period, they are delaying the shipments. Whenever they are supposed to make the shipments, we are cautioning them to take the credit insurance so that even if the payment is not coming, they are not unduly worried about that. So, they should cover their risk," Sahay said.

However, traders are not sure what kind of instructions may come for the banks or what kind of businesses may be stopped there, he added.

Meanwhile, CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal advised the domestic exporters to remain alert and keep a sharp eye on the developments. He also urged the government that "it must take cognisance of it and help the traders in the event of facing a financial crisis."

Bilateral trade between India and Afghanistan stood at USD 1.4 billion in 2020-21 as against USD 1.52 billion in 2019-20. Exports from India were USD 826 million, and imports were aggregated at USD 510 million in 2020-21, according to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), a premier organisation of eight crore traders across India.