Business
Afghan pine nuts exports increase: officials
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce have announced that exports of Afghan pine nuts have increased recently.
Officials in the ministry say that in the last eight months, more than 5,000 tons of pine nuts worth $14 million have been exported to the United Arab Emirates, China, Qatar, UK, USA, Australia, Netherlands and other countries.
"In the last eight months, pine nuts exports worth approximately 14 million dollars were exported mainly to China, India, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, US, UK, Australia, Netherlands and other countries,” said Abdulsalam Jawad Akhundzada, the spokesman of the ministry.
"Although it was the best in terms of price and quality, but most of last year's pine nuts still remain in the markets, which should be exported to Arab countries and US through international expos, and must be supported by subsidy programs by the government to other domestic factories and should be regulated,” said Mahboobullah Mohammadi, an investor.
Meanwhile, officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock also say that they are trying to increase the production of pine nuts in the country. The ministry’s spokesman adds that pine nuts are produced in a traditional way, and they have managed this process properly and prevented waste.
"Pine nuts are in the natural forests, and in the forests where there are pine nuts, we have tried to increase the yield of pine nuts,” said Misbahuddin Mustain, the spokesman of the ministry.
Experts say that the government should pay more attention to the production and export of pine nuts and introduce this product in global markets.
Afghan pine nuts enjoys a special reputation. In the past years, the product used to be exported to global markets through air corridors, but now that the air corridors are not fully operational, a small amount of pine nuts is exported outside the country.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Afghanistan exported goods worth nearly $2 billion to regional countries and beyond during the year 2023.
Its spokesman stated on Monday that Afghanistan’s exports were mainly to countries such as Pakistan, India, China, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
He mentioned that Afghanistan’s exports this year have increased by two percent compared to previous years and emphasized the need for world’s restrictions to be lifted for the development of Afghanistan’s trade.
Business
Iran’s non-oil exports to Afghanistan rise by 31% this solar year
Iran’s imports from Afghanistan also rose sharply, totalling over $33 million, a 192% increase in this period
Iran's non-oil exports to Afghanistan surged by 31% in the first half of this solar year (April to September 2024), totalling over $1.77 billion.
According to Iran’s trade association in Afghanistan, both the value and volume of non-oil exports to Afghanistan saw substantial growth.
Statistics provided by the association indicate that nearly 560,000 tons of Iranian goods, including iron, steel, cement, eggs, and potatoes, were exported to Afghanistan during this period.
Iran’s imports from Afghanistan also rose sharply, totalling over $33 million, a 192% increase in this period.
The primary exports to Iran included barley, corn, peanuts, and chilies.
Business
Private sectors of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan sign contracts worth $100 million
Private sectors of Afghanistan and Kazakhstan have signed contracts worth $100 million during the visit of an Afghan delegation to Almaty recently, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) announced on Thursday.
The agreements include the export of more than 2,000 tons of dried fruit, the export of fresh fruit, including pomegranates, and the export of cotton, Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said on X.
Mujahid said that the Islamic Emirate delegation during its recent visit to Kazakhstan signed a "road map of cooperation between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan in the fields of trade, industry, mining, energy, logistics, agriculture, telecommunications, health, higher education and humanitarian aid.”
He said Kazakhstan also assured that it would provide more facilities for the transit of Afghan goods to China and other countries through Kazakhstan.
The allocation of an area "as a logistics center for Afghan goods" in the port of Khargos was also part of the agreement between the two sides to facilitate the unloading and loading of Afghan traders' goods.
The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate also said that Kazakhstan will participate in the construction of the Torghundi-Herat, Kandahar-Spin Boldak and Mazar-e-Sharif-Kharlachi railway projects.
Mujahid added that Kazakhstan will also participate in the establishment of a trade and transit center in Herat province, which will be used to store and finance trade and transit goods. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has agreed to establish permanent expo centers for the sale of Afghan goods in various cities of Kazakhstan.
It is worth mentioning that the delegation of the Islamic Emirate led by Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, participated in the three-day exhibition of Afghanistan's domestic products, which was launched on October 21 in Almaty.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce recently announced that 23 tons of pomegranates from Kandahar province were exported to Almaty through the port of Torghundi.
Business
China resumes direct rail trade with Afghanistan
China resumed its direct freight rail services to Afghanistan on Thursday when a train loaded with goods left Nantong city in Jiangsu province.
The train, carrying commercial goods in 55 wagons, is heading for the northern Hairatan border in Balkh province, Yue Xiaoyong, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Special Representative for Afghanistan, said in a post on X.
Nantong is a central hub of the Belt and Road Initiative and is located north of Shanghai.
The resumption of the rail line was marked at a formal ceremony on Thursday with Yue and Bilal Karimi, the Afghan Ambassador to China, in attendance.
This comes after China recently announced plans to lift customs tariffs on Afghan exports to China by the end of this year, further strengthening trade ties between the two nations.
-
Business4 days ago
Private sectors of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan sign contracts worth $100 million
-
Latest News5 days ago
OIC special envoy meets with Pakistani officials for talks on Afghanistan
-
Sport4 days ago
Rashid Khan retained by Gujrat Titans ahead of IPL 2025 auction
-
Latest News4 days ago
DAB plans to set up electronic payments in Afghanistan
-
Regional4 days ago
Iran preparing strike on Israel from Iraqi territory within days, Axios reports
-
Regional4 days ago
Seven killed, dozens injured in blast in Pakistan’s Balochistan province
-
Sport2 days ago
Afghanistan to tour Zimbabwe for all-format series
-
Latest News3 days ago
Uzbekistan, EU envoys meet to discuss Afghanistan