Kabul traditionally has relied on Pakistani overland routes and the two main southern seaports of Karachi and Port Qasim for international trade, under a bilateral deal with Islamabad, known as the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA). However, recent Chinese financial and construction efforts have activated the deep-water port of Gwadar, on the Arabian Sea, which offers a much shorter overland link, particularly to southern regions of Afghanistan, for the rapid delivery of goods.
Kabul traditionally has relied on Pakistani overland routes and the two main southern seaports of Karachi and Port Qasim for international trade, under a bilateral deal with Islamabad, known as the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA). However, recent Chinese financial and construction efforts have activated the deep-water port of Gwadar, on the Arabian Sea, which offers a much shorter overland link, particularly to southern regions of Afghanistan, for the rapid delivery of goods.