Afghanistan's exports to Pakistan have sharply decreased by 31% compared to the same period last year, Amu reported citing the data from the Taliban-run Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
In the first half of 2024, the total trade volume between the two nations was $1.081bn. Of this, Afghan exports accounted for only $329mn, while imports from Pakistan totaled $752mn. This dramatic decline in exports has raised concerns about the fragility of Afghanistan’s economy.
Abdul Salam Jawad, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, noted that Afghanistan's primary exports included cotton, coal, raisins, onions, and carpets. Meanwhile, key imports from Pakistan comprised rice, cement, sugar, fresh fruits, raw materials for factories, new clothing, and eggs.
Economists attribute the export decline to escalating political tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Abdul Nasir Rashtia, an economist, criticized Pakistan for leveraging trade as a political instrument against Afghanistan.
“Pakistan views trade and the economy through a political lens,” Rashtia commented. “Whenever political tensions arise or our relations with Pakistan deteriorate, they use Afghanistan’s ports, transit routes, trade, and even the status of Afghan refugees as leverage.”
Rashtia further observed that improved relations between Afghanistan and India often lead to new trade obstacles imposed by Pakistani authorities on Afghan traders and farmers.
In the first half of 2023, trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan amounted to $1.152bn, with Afghan exports reaching $476mn. The recent figures underscore the economic challenges Afghanistan faces under Taliban governance.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have seen an increase in trade turnover over recent years, with the figure reaching $572.8mn from January to July 2024. This is up from $470.7mn in the same period of 2023 and $22.3mn in 2022.
Uzbekistan's exports to Afghanistan have reached $555.7mn this year, compared to $466.7mn in 2023 and $417.5mn in 2022. On the other hand, imports from Afghanistan have increased to $17.2mn in 2024, up from $4mn in 2023 and $4.9mn in 2022.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep current on world news.
Comments (0)