Karachi, 20 June

The trade ban imposed by New Delhi after the Pahalgam terror attack put brakes on the export of Himalayan Pink Salt from Pakistan to India, but has also provided local traders an opportunity to explore new markets.

After the 22 AprilPahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, India took a series of measures, including immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post, used for movement of certain kinds of goods.

In retaliation, Pakistan too announced that “all trade with India, including to and from any third country through Pakistan, is suspended forthwith.”

The trade ban hit the exporters of Himalayan Pink Salt, which is in high demand on the other side of the border. “India has been one of the biggest importers of Himalayan pink salt from Pakistan. The ban has meant zero exports to that country,” Mansoor Ahmed, a senior director in Ghani International, one of the top exporters of pink salt and related products, said.

However, Pakistan’s top exporters of pink salt are not alarmed by the ban as it also offers a silver lining for them.

Saima Akhtar, chairperson of the Pakistan Salt Manufacturers Association (SMAP) said that Pakistan’s Himalayan pink salt is already in huge demand globally due to its perceived health benefits and culinary uses.

“When we exported it to India, the salt was sold in the Indian retail market for INR 45 to 50 per kg. But now apparently, it is being sold as high as INR 70 to 80 per kg,” she said.

The India-Pakistan trade relations had already soured after the Pulwama terror attack, following which India raised the import duty to 200 per cent on all goods imported from Pakistan.

 “The available figures we have shows that bilateral trade fell to USD 1.2 billion in 2024 from a peak of nearly USD 3 billion in 2018,” she added.

Ehsan Malik, CEO of Pakistan Business Council said that Pakistan imported fruits, vegetables, pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals and sugar from India.

“Bottom line is our imports have been higher than our exports to India and Pink Salt has been our main export.”

Malik, however, noted that these were all official figures which ballooned if one took into account the unofficial trade between the two countries.

He noted that substantial volumes of Indian goods reach Pakistan through unofficial channels, often via third countries, bypassing formal trade restrictions and vice versa.

Shehzad Javed, CEO of Ittefaq Companies, one of the key producers and exporters of Himalayan Pink Salt, said that Pakistani pink salt exports to China had increased in the first quarter of 2025.

“We are now pursuing increased exports to USA, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Australia, Turkey, Netherlands, Italy, UK, Germany, Brazil, UAE, Japan, Singapore, Chile, South Africa, Russia, which are major importers of pink salt,” he said.

SMAP official Ismail Sattur claimed that in the past because of issues with EU permissions for their markets, Pakistani pink salt was widely imported from India to the European market as an Indian product.

He explained after the Pakistan government implemented the Geographical Indications Act of Pakistan in 2020, it’s now tagged as a GI of Pakistan. However, the process to get it registered as a Pakistani product in international markets is ongoing.

“The current position is we are in process of getting a Geographical Indication (GI) tag that will confirm the salt's authenticity as a Pakistani product,” Sattur said.

“Once this is done, the salt's origin and specific qualities are recognised and protected and will help Pakistani exporters in its trade in the EU market,” he added.