Pakistan reopens Gabd-Rimdan crossing for LPG imports after 17 October closure

Border officials cleared consignments documented on or before 16 October, Dawn reported. The crossing, also known as Gate 250, sits in Balochistan's Gwadar district. Trade through it and through Taftan stopped on 17 October.

Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said Iran places no restrictions on exports to Pakistan, including LPG, in a statement posted on 25 October. He blamed changes in how Pakistan runs its E-Form procedure for imports, which left traders unable to dispatch cargo. Several hundred LPG trucks had crossed into Gabd but stayed unloaded for weeks, he added.

Daily Pakistan reported that more than 200 LPG bowsers were due to clear on 25 October, potentially releasing 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes into the domestic market. LPG vessels had also reached the SSGC terminal operated by PGP Consortium. At Port Qasim, one vessel carrying 4,520 metric tonnes of LPG had anchored, while a second carrying 3,083 metric tonnes had discharged and departed, a port spokesman told the outlet. The two shipments total 7,603 tonnes. Added to the expected Iranian volumes, the report put the combined supply boost at roughly 10,600 to 11,600 tonnes.

Pakistan imports about 7,000 tonnes of LPG a day from Iran, according to the Pakistan LPG Association. More than 4,000 tonnes of that daily flow comes through Gabd-Rimdan alone, said Shamsul Haq, former president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The cleared bowsers amount to less than a day of normal flow through the crossing.

Why the crossings closed

The crossing had reopened on Wednesday for Pakistani perishable exports, but LPG imports stayed halted until 25 October. The Balochistan government said the closure aimed to address security concerns and curb smuggling. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei cited technical issues, according to the state-run Irna news agency.

The commerce ministry withdrew an earlier order dated 3 October, Gulf News reported.

Hundreds of trucks, including LPG tankers, were stranded on both sides of the border, Haq said. More than 1,000 Pakistani containers of potatoes, bananas and rice bound for Iran also stalled, he said. Abdul Ghani Baloch, a driver, told Reuters he had waited more than a week at the border.

The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimated that the closure affected about 2,000 trucks.

What a cylinder costs

Traders said the price of a 12 kg LPG cylinder had risen to 7,000 Pakistani rupees from 4,500 rupees within days of the closure and could climb further if the disruptions persist. Irfan Khokhar, chairman of the Pakistan LPG Association, said a 12 kg cylinder was selling for about 7,000 rupees in Balochistan, 7,500 rupees in Lahore and 8,200 rupees in Skardu. Higher LPG prices were feeding into the cost of other goods, he said, and shortages could worsen. Farhat Abbas, a resident of Lahore, paid 250 rupees per kg before the closure and now pays 500 to 600, he told Reuters.

Daily Pakistan's headline forecast a cut of 70 to 80 rupees per kg, while its text cited industry sources saying 50 to 70 rupees.

What happens next

The Iranian ambassador said consultations on the clearance bottleneck are continuing. The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry advised members to stop placing new orders with Iran until further notice. Bilateral trade was about $2.8 billion in the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, with Pakistani exports accounting for roughly $684 million. The chamber warned that prolonged restrictions could cause substantial financial losses to traders dependent on cross-border commerce. Neither government has said when it will settle the E-Form issue, and it is not clear whether Taftan has reopened for LPG.