Afghan Tyre Smugglers Hurting Karachi Businesses

Pakistani news sources are reporting that Karachi industry, importers and manufacturers are feeling the malevolent effects of smuggled tyres coming across the border from Afghanistan. The contraband products are flooding the local marketplace, leading to a reduction in the share local businessmen can hope to attain.

According to reports, Pakistan has a demand for more than two million passenger car tyres annually, and as much of 70 per cent of this market is satisfied by tyres smuggled into the country through Afghan Transit Trade. An estimate by analysts puts a figure of one billion rupees (7.2 million pounds sterling) on the loss to the national exchequer as a result of this activity, in addition to the obvious harm caused to the local economy.