India-Pakistan trade stood at $339.43 mn in April-May

The Dollar Business Bureau

India - Pakistan bilateral trade stood at $339.43 million during the first two months of financial year 2016-17. 

India’s exports to Pakistan reached $278.75 million during April-May, while imports were $60.68 million.  

Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan had a brief meeting in May 2014 and that could be used further as a roadmap to normalise full trade between the two neighbours. 

"No bilateral trade meeting between India and Pakistan has taken place since then and there is no progress on the agreed roadmap," the commerce minister said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Pakistan had agreed to remove all trade restrictions through Attari/ Wagha border in September 2012, providing transition non-discriminatory status to India by December 2012. Pakistan, however, did not stick to its timelines.

Replying to another question, Sitharaman said India and the US held consultations in May this year under the aegis of the World Trade Organisation (WTO's) dispute settlement mechanism on the raised visa fee issue. 

"India took up the matter in the dispute settlement body of the WTO with respect to two measures by the US - measures relating to fees for L1 and H1B non-immigrant visas; measures relating to numerical commitment for H1B visas," she said.