Afghanistan crisis hits Surat’s textile traders

Entire supply chain cycle has been disrupted due to political uncertainty

The fall of the Afghanistan government and the seizure of power by the Taliban has hit textile traders and exporters from Gujarat’s textile hub Surat as payments worth more than ₹100 crore have apparently been stuck since the beginning of August. “Yes, it is true that payments for consignments dispatched from Surat have been stuck due to the political situation in Afghanistan. We don’t have the accurate figure but it’s a substantial amount since Surat is a major hub of textiles exports to countries like Afghanistan and Iran, and several other countries,” said Ashish Gujarati, a prominent textiles businessman and head of the South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SGCCI). However, he stressed that there is no direct business between traders or exporters from Surat with traders of Afghanistan. “The trade of textiles consignments consisting of finished garments like Punjabi ‘suits’ and dupattas or dress materials or fabrics is done via traders or agents based in either Dubai or Dhaka, or through agents in Delhi,” Mr. Gujarati explained.