Ministry: $512m of trade between Afghanistan and Iran in 4 months

KABUL (TOLOnews): The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has said that in the first four months of this year, trade worth $512 million was made between Afghanistan and Iran.
According to the statistics of the Ministry, Afghanistan exported only $6 million during this period.
Afghanistan’s trade with the Republic of Iran during the first four months of the current year is worth $512 million, of which $506 million are imports and $6 million are exports,” said Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Meanwhile, some businessmen said that in order to increase Afghanistan’s exports, it is necessary to provide more facilities by the Islamic Emirate and Iran at the crossings.
“The lack of an agreement due to the increase in Afghanistan’s exports in the Iranian market and the creation of export opportunities between both countries and the use of transit routes through Iran to other countries are also problems between the two countries that are still standing,” said Mahbub Ullah Mohammadi, a businessman.
“We also have some problems with money transfers in the export field. if these problems are solved, both import and export challenges will be solved,” said Zalmy Azimi, a businessman.
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that Iran is a suitable market for the export of cotton and minerals.
“Iran needs many export items from Afghanistan, including dried fruit, and marble, and the tax is very high. Iran has not given a preferential tariff like Pakistan and China. We want Iran to give preferential tariffs to Afghan businessmen,” said Mohammad Yonis Momand, first deputy of Commerce and Investment.
Based on the information of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the amount of export and import between Afghanistan and Iran reaches two billion dollars annually and efforts are being made to increase this amount to ten billion dollars.