New Delhi, April 28 -- Despite minimal direct trade between India and Pakistan, Indian products worth approximately USD 10 billion reach Pakistan annually through indirect channels, according to estimates by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).

The trade restrictions are circumvented by routing goods through ports in Dubai, Singapore, and Colombo. Indian companies send merchandise to these ports where independent firms unload and store them in bonded warehouses, allowing goods to be kept without paying duties while in transit.

In these warehouses, labels and documentation are altered to indicate a different country of origin. For instance, products manufactured in India may be relabelled as 'Made in UAE' before being shipped to ...