Tea smuggling into Pakistan

Pakistan's tea imports have registered a massive decline in recent years, slumping from 127,000 tons in 2004/05 to 90,000 tons in fiscal 2008/09. Did people start cutting on their tea diet?

Most likely not. Afghanistan, a country of 25 million people, imports over 84,000 tons of black tea, while Pakistan, a country of nearly 170 million, imports 86,000 tons. As Kabul charges around 2% duty on tea imports, while Pakistan charges around 39%, tea is probably imported to Afghanistan and then smuggled in Pakistan. (Source: The News)