The Ministry of Industry and Commerce reported that in the eleven months of the year 1403 (solar calendar), trade between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan exceeded $430 million.
Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, the spokesperson for the ministry, stated that $45 million of this amount was from exports.
The spokesperson added: “Afghanistan’s trade with Kazakhstan in the 11 months of 1403 amounted to $430 million, of which $45 million were exports and $385 million were imports.”
Kazakhstan, recognized as one of the strongest economies in Central Asia, has expanded its trade and economic relations with Afghanistan since the return of the Islamic Emirate.
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment considers Central Asian countries, particularly Kazakhstan, as a good market for Afghan goods and emphasizes increasing exports to the country.
Khanjan Alokozay, a board member of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, told TOLOnews: “Our trade is increasing day by day. Most of our flour consumption is entirely imported from Kazakhstan, along with wheat, oil, and other goods. In total, our trade with Central Asia exceeds $800 million, of which $400 million is with Kazakhstan.”
“Visa facilitation for Afghan traders, the ability to transfer money between Afghan banks and Kazakhstan, and strengthening transportation infrastructure—which can ease the transfer of goods—are factors that can help improve trade relations between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan,” said Qutbuddin Yaqubi, an economic analyst.
According to the ministry, Afghanistan’s main exports to Kazakhstan include fruit juices, non-alcoholic beverages, raisins, vegetables, licorice, onions, pressure cookers, and grapes. The key imports from Kazakhstan include flour, sheet metal, flax, wheat, raw materials for industrial factories, chemical fertilizers, and petroleum products.