Pakistan’s exports to regional countries, including Afghanistan, has dropped by 22 percent in the first phase of eight months of the current fiscal year amid a spike in COVID-19 pandemic, media reports said.

Exports to Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Iran, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives fell to $1.171 billion from $1.504bn in the previous year, indicate data of the State Bank of Pakistan as reported by Pajhwok Afghan News.

The country’s exports to Afghanistan declined 13.6 percent to $629.324 million from $728.315 million. A few years ago, Afghanistan was the second largest export destination after the US, the Afghanistan news agency reported.

Pakistan is witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.

(IBNS)