Business
Mes Aynak mining still on hold as company deals with challenges
MJAM, the Chinese company that has the extraction contract for Aynak copper mine, in Logar province, has not been able to start operating due to the number of challenges they are facing.
According to John J. Coy, the vice president of MJAM, land acquisition around the mine is one major obstacle that is currently preventing the company from starting work.
Coy said the company cannot solve this problem alone and requires the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s cooperation.
In addition to the land acquisition issues, it is reported that other major obstacles also exist and require resolution before the project can begin. Coy suggested that the Aynak copper mine contract needs to be reviewed in light of current challenges, and that there should be more dialogue between the Chinese company and the Islamic Emirate.
In return for the contract, the company is contractually bound to help needy families in the area with aid.
In the meantime, the Minister of Culture and Arts, Atiqullah Azizi, has stated that his ministry has prepared a plan to preserve the ancient Aynak copper mining site where countless artifacts have been found. Azizi says his ministry is currently in talks with a company to carry out this work and hopes to start practical work on the project as soon as possible.
Shokrallah, a representative from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, says the ministry is working to start practical work on mining the Aynak copper mine. However, the ministry acknowledges that they are in talks with MJAM to resolve the differences about this project.
The Aynak copper mine extraction contract was won by MJAM back in 2007. Since then, security problems and the presence of ancient artifacts in the mining area have prevented the company from starting work on the project, leading officials to seek out solutions and dialogue with the Islamic Emirate to resolve the problems.
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.
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.
Afghanistan’s pine nut exports increased by 69 percent in the first seven months of the current solar year 1405 compared with the same period last year, reaching $72 million, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) says.
According to chamber officials, the value of pine nut exports stood at $42 million during the first seven months of last year. The product has been exported to European countries, India and, particularly, China.
Meanwhile, officials at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce say they have taken steps since the beginning of the year to expand pine nut exports and identify new markets for the product.
However, some economic experts say pine nuts are among Afghanistan’s key export products and that relevant government ministries, particularly the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, should strengthen efforts to promote the product and secure access to new markets.
Afghan pine nuts are also exported to China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Australia, Turkey, Austria and Kuwait.
Experts emphasize that pine nut packaging should be improved to meet the requirements and standards of different international markets in order to further increase exports.
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