Economy & Trade Archives - South Asia Times

The EU–India FTA reveals a deep structural asymmetry, exposing Indian industry to European dominance while reinforcing dependency through tariffs, CBAM, and non-tariff barriers.

The Asymmetry at the Heart of the EU–India FTA

SAT Commentary January 28, 2026

Presented as a landmark of global economic integration, the EU–India Free Trade Agreement masks a deeply unequal structure. While India dismantles protective tariffs central to its industrial base, European firms retain advantages through subsidies, non-tariff barriers, and green protectionism. Rather than enabling industrial upgrading, the deal risks locking India into a dependent trade pattern, importing high-value capital goods while exporting low-value products, undermining the very logic of Make in India.

EU–Pakistan Business Forum 2026

SAT Commentary January 20, 2026

The EU–Pakistan Business Forum 2026 marks a strategic pivot toward diversified, ESG-driven investment, de-risked finance, and regulatory alignment beyond GSP+ trade ties.

Afghanistan’s post-2021 economy has shifted toward informality, coercive revenue, and regional trade, shaped by isolation, sanctions, and political risk.

Afghanistan’s Post-2021 Economic Model

SAT Editorial Desk January 20, 2026

Afghanistan’s post-2021 economic model reflects a sharp break from the aid-backed past, defined by informality, fiscal fragility, and regional economic isolation under Taliban rule.

Pakistan’s IT sector and Digital Nation Act 2025 offer a scalable path to break the current account deficit and escape chronic economic volatility.

Pakistan’s Digital Escape Route

SAT Commentary January 2, 2026

Pakistan’s reliance on import-heavy exports has repeatedly triggered balance-of-payments crises. The Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025 positions IT as a zero-raw-material export capable of delivering scalable growth, fiscal stability, and long-term economic resilience.

Afghanistan’s Trade Boycott: Strategic Miscalculation With Fiscal Consequences

Semavia Ishtiaq December 11, 2025

Afghanistan’s 2025 trade boycott of Pakistan exposes a strategic miscalculation. Despite efforts to shift toward Iran and Central Asia, Kabul remains structurally dependent on Pakistan’s mature trade corridors, customs revenue, labour mobility, and logistical efficiency. Alternative routes carry higher costs, sanctions risks, and operational delays, leaving the Taliban with mounting fiscal losses and regional constraints.

Why Kabul’s Trade Boycott Hurts Itself More Than Pakistan

Haleema Khalid November 12, 2025

Afghanistan’s bid to pivot trade away from Pakistan after the October 2025 closures reveals the limits of sovereignty without geography. Islamabad’s leverage remains structural, grounded in security and logistics, not coercion.

The End of Dollar Dominance: How Gold is Rewriting the Rules of Global Finance

Prof. (Dr.) Akhilesh Chandra Prabhakar November 10, 2025

After nearly eight decades of U.S. dollar supremacy, the global financial order is entering a historic transition. As nations seek refuge from debt crises, sanctions, and monetary manipulation, gold is regaining its status as the world’s most trusted store of value. Led by China’s strategic accumulation and supported by a worldwide shift toward de-dollarisation, this transformation signals the birth of a multipolar, asset-backed financial era, one anchored not in promises, but in tangible wealth.

India’s Deepening Socioeconomic Crisis: Inequality, Unemployment, and the Erosion of Livelihoods

Prof. (Dr.) Akhilesh Chandra Prabhakar October 13, 2025

India’s rapid economic growth hides a deepening crisis of inequality, unemployment, and poverty. As corporate wealth expands, millions struggle for basic survival—exposing the fragility of the country’s neoliberal growth model.

CPEC 2.0 marks a new phase in Pakistan-China ties, with trade, industry, and Gwadar at the center of regional connectivity and economic revival.

CPEC 2.0: A Lifeline for Pakistan’s Economic Revival and Regional Integration

SAT Commentary September 7, 2025

Pakistan and China have launched CPEC 2.0, shifting from roads and energy to industries, technology, and trade. With $64 billion in projects and Gwadar Port at its heart, the initiative promises jobs, growth, and regional integration at a critical time.

India’s Balancing Act Collapses: US Tariffs Expose Fragile Foreign Policy

SAT Commentary August 27, 2025

India’s long-standing strategy of balancing ties with Washington and Moscow has unraveled. Sweeping US tariffs on Indian exports signal that New Delhi’s ambiguous stance on Russian oil is no longer sustainable, with severe economic and diplomatic consequences that could reshape its foreign policy trajectory.