Afghanistan’s exports doubled over the past three months compared to the same period in previous years, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said.
According to the ACCI, during the first three months of the solar year of 1401, exports exceeded $400 million.
“We have had approximately 19,000 tons of fresh fruit exports and approximately more than 1.8 million tons of coal,” said Mohammad Younus, acting head of ACCI.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) said it has been trying to provide further facilitate trade with the Central Asian nations.
“The majority of our exports are to India and Pakistan. We export fresh fruits, dry fruits and the asafetida plant,” said Nooruddin Azizi, acting Minister of Commerce and Industry.
Meanwhile, traders called for the reactivation of air corridors to pave the way for exports.
“There are a lot of problems ahead of the exports in the country. One of the problems is the lack of a proper system for exports to China, Europe and Arabic countries and the second problem is the air corridor,” said Mahbobullah Mohammadi, a trader.
Based on statistics of the ACCI, Afghanistan’s exports abroad surpassed $1 billion in the1400 solar year.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has waived the requirement for Afghan imports to have an Electronic Import Form (EIF) for two months, during which time Afghan goods can be sent to the country without any hindrance, Pakistani officials announced.
It was announced earlier that Pakistan’s central bank had ordered its customs to prevent Afghan imports that were not accompanied by an electronic import form.
The Chamber of Commerce and Investments (ACCI) said the two neighboring countries have established a commission to address the challenges and remove obstacles.
ACCI asked the Islamic Emirate to resolve the problem completely within the next two months.
“It was delayed for two months, additionally, a joint commission was established to work on the solution and protocol,” said Khanjan Alokozai, a member of the board of directors of ACCI.
Alokozai asked Pakistan to facilitate the export system for Afghanistan as had Iran and Central Asian countries.
Officials at the Chamber of Industry and Mines said the Islamic Emirate officials must seek a way to deal with this problem permanently.
Statistics from the Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) indicate that Afghanistan annually exports more than one and a half million tons of talc and coal to Pakistan, and much of Afghanistan’s fruit and vegetables are sold in the country’s markets.
