— The current Iran-US war has not only rattled the global energy markets and the international economy, but has also severely harmed Pakistan’s trade with shipments to Middle Eastern countries nosediving by as much as 70 percent.

Official documents obtained by Dunya News revealed that Pakistan had a substantial fall in exports in March and April. Exports to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries plummeted about 70 percent in March alone, from more than $315.1 million in March 2025 to $95.4 million in the same month in 2026.

The downturn continued in April albeit at a reduced pace, with shipments to GCC countries falling by more than 23 percent. April 2025 saw Pakistan send commodities worth $200 million to the region, while in April 2026, it exported goods worth $152.4 million.

The GCC bloc includes the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

March saw the UAE suffer the biggest loss in exports among member states, down 74 percent. Exports to Saudi Arabia decreased 56 percent, to Qatar by 64 percent and to Oman by 85 percent. While shipments to Kuwait fell 21 percent, with Bahrain recording a drop of 85 percent.

The violence has affected sea and air transport lines and raised prices for shipping and logistics, the Ministry of Commerce said. This has impacted the UAE hard because of the breakdown in its logistical network.

Pakistan is significantly reliant on the UAE’s Jebel Ali Port for regional trade, with approximately 80 percent of its trade with GCC countries moving through the key transit centre.

Trade experts worry that prolonged instability in the region could result in higher shipping insurance prices, slower flow of cargo and a further burden on Pakistani exporters already suffering rising production and transportation charges.

Analysts also see wider economic implications for Pakistan in case of lingering tensions, including pressure on foreign exchange earnings and trade balances, as the Middle East is a major destination for Pakistani exports and a key source of economic activity linked to overseas workers and regional trade.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened positive on the second trading day of the week with the benchmark index surging again above 171,000 level.

The 100-index climbed almost 550 points, trading at 171,150 points in early business hours against the previous day’s close of 170,600 points.

The stock market had a bearish trend a day earlier with 3,362.62 points loss, a negative change of 1.93 percent closing at 170,600.20 points against 173,962.82 points on the past trading day according to PSX statistics.

Meanwhile, the rupee gained against the US dollar, which extended losses in the interbank market.

The dollar declined by 2 paisas to Rs278.45, according to the Exchange Companies Association.

Asian equities steadied in choppy trade on Tuesday as investors shrugged aside uncertainties about the sustainability of a Middle East peace to return to favorite AI plays.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific equities outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was up 0.4% after seesawing between gains and losses at the start of trading.

Regional falls were led by Korean shares (.KS11) falling as much as 3.3% following an initially higher open, while gains for equities in China and Hong Kong steadied the regional benchmark. S&P 500 e-mini futures slipped 0.3% as Japan’s Nikkei 225 (.N225) tumbled 0.7%.

In response to the fact that one of Pakistan’s most lucrative fruit exports is being threatened by conflict-related interruptions across the Middle East, skyrocketing freight costs, and climate-related crop losses, Pakistan’s mango exporters have reduced their export objective for this year by 30,000 tonnes, which is roughly 30 percent.

According to the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA), exporters now anticipate shipping 80,000 tonnes of mangoes this season, which is a decrease from 110,000 tonnes the previous year. Additionally, export earnings are projected to fall to between $75 million and $80 million, which is a decrease from approximately $110 million the previous year.

It was on Sunday that the first shipments of mangoes from Pakistan were sent to markets outside of Pakistan, marking the official beginning of the export season.

There are a number of mango varieties that are native to Pakistan, including Sindhri, Chaunsa, and Anwar Ratol. Pakistan is the fourth largest mango grower in the world. One of the most significant horticultural exports from the country is the fruit, and the Gulf states are the country’s most important trading partners in the international market.

According to a statement released by the Patron-in-Chief of the PFVA, Waheed Ahmed, “the export target has been reduced to 80,000 tonnes from 110,000 tonnes last year.” This decision was made in light of the enormous problems that are currently being faced by the trade.

As a result of tensions involving Iran, Israel, the United States, and the wider Middle East, shipping routes have been disrupted, cargo movements have been delayed, and transportation costs have sharply increased across a region that serves as Pakistan’s most important mango market. This reduction comes at a time when exporters are struggling to deal with the fallout of these tensions.

Approximately 35 percent of Pakistan’s mango exports are destined for the Gulf region. In addition, exporters utilise overland trade routes that pass through Afghanistan, which is Pakistan’s neighbour, in order to access Central Asian markets.

According to Ahmed, exporters have become cautious as a result of the uncertainty surrounding regional crises.

His statement was that the Gulf crisis was the primary cause of this situation.

“Access to Afghanistan is absolutely restricted. There is also a crisis in Iran. In addition, there is a conflict going on in the Middle East.

“We are unable to predict what will take place tomorrow.”

Exporters have reported that the unrest in the region has resulted in a significant increase in the expenses of shipping.

According to the PFVA, the number of dollars charged for sea freight to Gulf destinations increased from approximately $1,200 to $1,400 per container during the previous season to as high as $6,000 to $7,000. The prices of air freight have also increased by more than twofold, reaching approximately two dollars per kilogram.