Afghanistan, Oct. 18 -- Afghan and Pakistani traders say nearly a year of closed border crossings has caused heavy economic losses, disrupted exports and left thousands of workers without jobs, while forcing businesses to use alternative routes that can raise shipping costs fivefold.
Khan Jan Alokozay, head of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, stated that transporting a container from Karachi to Afghanistan, which previously cost about $2,000 and took around 10 days, now costs as much as $10,000 through alternative routes, with delivery taking up to two months.
The disruption has particularly affected Afghanistan's exports of fresh and dried fruit. Alokozay said some products are now shipped to India by air, while smalle...