Business

Afghanistan’s central bank gets shipment of new banknotes

Published

4 years ago

November 10, 2022

A Polish firm delivered Afghani banknotes to Kabul this week after the United States paved the way for the Da Afghanistan Bank to make a payment via international banking systems, a member of the bank’s supreme council told Reuters on Wednesday.

The payment represents a shift for Afghanistan’s central bank, which has been largely cut off from the international financial system since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) came into power last year.

State news outlet Bakhtar also reported that the shipment arrived on Wednesday.

The Afghan central bank held a contract with a Polish company for the printing of its banknotes but had been unable until early July to begin payment, Reuters reported.

Without access to fresh banknotes for more than a year, Afghanistan’s cash has been deteriorating, with notes torn in shreds or held together with sellotape, exacerbating the country’s liquidity crisis.

“Afghanistan’s markets run primarily on cash, but existing banknotes are crumbling …The Central Bank will be able to replace old and damaged banknotes, and this will improve the Afghan people’s ability to purchase food and other necessary items,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said.

Shah Mehrabi, a member of the Afghan central bank’s supreme council, said assurances to banks and companies by the U.S. Treasury that they would not be prosecuted for allowing a transaction by Afghanistan’s central bank had been instrumental.

“These transactions that were facilitated by the Treasury are welcomed by all Afghans,” Mehrabi said.

He said the banknotes began arriving on Tuesday. The contract was for notes valued at 10 billion Afghanis, mostly in small denominations. A second contract with a French company had been reached for a similar value.

A spokesperson for Afghanistan’s finance ministry told Reuters that new banknotes would be used solely by the central bank for replacing old notes, not to fund the budget.

Mehrabi said that the bank would release its financial statements to ensure the cash was accounted for.

He said the bank had agreed to be subject to third party monitoring and the U.S. Treasury had approved of an agency to carry out the monitoring.

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Business

Afghanistan and Iran discuss boosting trade and investment ties

Both sides agreed to follow up on the issues raised, improve coordination between relevant economic institutions and work towards removing barriers to trade.

Published

3 hours ago

November 8, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan and Iran have held talks on expanding bilateral trade, improving cross-border commerce and creating new investment opportunities for businesses in both countries.

The discussions took place during a meeting between a trade delegation from Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and representatives of the Iran-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce.

The Afghan delegation was led by Kamaluddin Tawhid, Chairman of the Afghanistan-Iran Joint Chamber of Commerce, who met with his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Seyadat, along with members of the chamber’s board of directors. Afghanistan’s Consul General in Mashhad, Noor Mohammad Mutawakkil, also attended.

The talks focused on strengthening economic cooperation, streamlining trade procedures at ports and border crossings, and encouraging joint investment by Afghan and Iranian companies.

Participants also raised several practical obstacles affecting commercial activities, including foreign exchange obligations, visa arrangements for Afghan truck drivers and the movement of Afghan freight vehicles through Iranian territory.

Tawhid highlighted Kandahar’s economic potential and investment opportunities across Afghanistan, urging Iranian businesses to play a greater role in the country’s economy.

He also pointed to investment opportunities identified by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, stressing the need for improved facilities for private-sector businesses and closer cooperation between the two countries’ commercial communities.

Both sides agreed to follow up on the issues raised, improve coordination between relevant economic institutions and work towards removing barriers to trade.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to strengthen commercial exchanges and expand trade and investment relations between Afghanistan and Iran.

Business

UK-Afghanistan trade falls 16.7% to £70 million over 12 months

Published

1 day ago

November 7, 2026

Ariana News

Trade in goods and services between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan declined by 16.7 percent to £70 million in the 12 months to the end of June 2026, according to the latest figures published by the UK Department for Business and Trade.

The department’s trade and investment factsheet, released on November 6, shows that bilateral trade fell by £14 million compared with the same period a year earlier.

UK exports to Afghanistan totalled £57 million, down 18.6 percent or £13 million, while imports from Afghanistan stood at £13 million, representing a 7.1 percent decline.

The figures show that goods accounted for £32 million, or 45.7 percent, of total trade, while services made up the remaining £38 million, or 54.3 percent.

UK exports to Afghanistan included beverages, pharmaceutical products, dairy products, road vehicles and industrial machinery.

Vegetables and fruit were the leading Afghan goods exports to the UK, worth £1.7 million. Clothing and textile fabrics were also among the main products exported.

The report ranks Afghanistan as the UK’s 166th-largest trading partner, accounting for less than 0.1 percent of the UK’s total trade during the period.

Business

Afghanistan and Russia discuss expanding trade and investment ties

Both sides highlighted the importance of closer cooperation between the Afghan and Russian private sectors.

Published

4 days ago

November 4, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan and Russia have discussed ways to strengthen bilateral trade, expand private-sector cooperation and attract new investment during a meeting in Kabul.

Inayatullah Sediqzi, Deputy Head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) for Services, met with Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov on the sidelines of an event marking Russia’s National Unity Day on Wednesday, November 4.

The event was hosted by the Russian Embassy in Kabul.

According to a statement from the ACCI, discussions focused on boosting economic relations, increasing bilateral trade and creating greater opportunities for businesspeople and investors from both countries.

Both sides highlighted the importance of closer cooperation between the Afghan and Russian private sectors, exploring new areas of economic partnership and establishing stronger direct links between their respective business communities.

The discussions reflect Afghanistan’s continued efforts to expand economic engagement with regional and international partners, with increased trade, private-sector development and foreign investment remaining key priorities.