Trade between Afghanistan and Tajikistan reaches $30 million

KABUL (TOLOnews): The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that in the past seven months, trade worth $30 million has taken place between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, told TOLOnews that of this amount, Afghanistan has exported goods worth $8 million to Tajikistan and has imported goods worth $22 million.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said: “The trade between Afghanistan and Tajikistan in the first seven months of 2024 was approximately $30 million, of which $8 million was exports and $22 million was imports. The main export items from Afghanistan to Tajikistan include tomatoes, cucumbers, black cumin, potatoes, apples, almonds, and pomegranates. The import items from Tajikistan to Afghanistan include cement, eggs, high-speed vehicles, sunflower oil, petrol, and car parts.” Recently, the Tajik government decided to extend its railway to the Afghan border.

The Chamber of Industries and Mines emphasized further development of commercial and transit cooperation between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, adding that if the railway connection between Afghanistan and Tajikistan is established, the economies of both countries will grow significantly.

Sakhi Ahmad Paiman, the first deputy of the Chamber of Industries and Mines, said: “Since Tajikistan is a neighboring and bordering country of Afghanistan, we can increase our trade development with it. Especially Afghan industrial goods have a good market in Tajikistan, and transit routes via railways from Afghanistan to Tajikistan and Pakistan are beneficial for both Tajikistan and Afghanistan.”

Considering the current situation between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, some economic experts regard Afghanistan’s position as very valuable for developing trade and transit among neighboring and regional countries.

Abdul Zahoor Madbar, an economic expert, said: “Afghanistan is one of the countries with a sensitive geoeconomic position, which is very valuable for neighboring, regional, and even global countries. Therefore, if neighboring and global policymakers think in favor of Afghanistan’s economy, the results can be positive and beneficial.”

According to Tajikistan media reports, the length of the railway extending to the Afghan border is 51 kilometers, and upon completion, Tajikistan will have access to the markets of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

The cost of this project is said to be $4 million and it will be completed within three years.

It is said that the construction of this railway is part of a larger project called “TAT,” based on which Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan will be connected to other Central Asian countries via railways.