The Ministry of Industry and Commerce stated that from January to June of this year, Afghanistan conducted trade worth $5.237 billion with various countries.
According to Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, the spokesperson for the ministry, Afghanistan exported nearly $700 million, with $58 million worth of exports going to Central Asian countries alone.
Jawad added that efforts are ongoing to increase the export volume further this year.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said, “Trade between Afghanistan and Central Asian countries continued normally during the first six months of 2024, with exports and imports amounting to $629 million. Of this, approximately $58 million were exports and $571 million were imports.”
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment stated that the majority of Afghanistan’s exports go to South Asian countries, but there are efforts to increase the export volume to Central Asian countries as well.
Khan Jan Alokozai, a member of the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: “We have imports exceeding $400 million, but our exports are very limited. The main reason is that all our exports are agricultural and freshly mined, with no industrial products.”
Some traders emphasize that preferential tariffs should be granted by regional countries to boost exports.
Traders added that to enhance Afghanistan’s trade relations with regional and global countries, it is necessary to provide trade facilitation through air corridors and land routes.
Trader Omid Haidari said, “Currently, the problem we face is Pakistan’s high tariffs, which have significantly increased on our export goods. Our traders cannot export with such high tariffs.”
According to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in the solar year 1402, exports worth $2 billion were made, with the majority going to Pakistan, India, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Iran.