Business

Cost of Trans-Afghan railway project estimated at $7 billion

Published

3 years ago

November 17, 2023

Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan estimate the cost of construction of the Trans-Afghan railway at almost $7 billion, Kun.uz News Agency reported on Thursday.

Recently, the head of the Ministry of Transport, Ilkhom Mahkamov, held negotiations in Pakistan with local industry departments and large transport and logistics companies NLC-Logistics and TCS, the agency added.

The Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway construction project can be implemented through a PPP in the Build-Operate-Transfer format.

The parties also agreed to develop multimodal transportation along the Trans-Afghan corridor, reduce transportation fees, simplify cargo transportation and speed up the construction of a railway through Afghanistan.

The Trans-Afghan Highway initiative was launched in 2018. At that time, the project with an annual transportation potential of 20 million tons of cargo was estimated at $5 billion.

Based on Kun.uz news agency report in July 2022, Uzbekistan Railways shared “Boshtransloyikha” calculations. The institute put the estimated cost of building the railway at $4.6 billion, and the project will take 5 years to complete.

Last December, Pakistan estimated the construction of the railway between Pakistan and Uzbekistan at $8.2 billion.

This comes after a trilateral trade meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan was held in Islamabad on Tuesday and the participants emphasized the need to strengthen economic relations between the three countries.

The meeting was attended by Nuruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan, Gohar Ejaz, Minister of Commerce of Pakistan, and Jamshid Khodjaev Abdukhakomovich, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan.

The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad said that discussions centered around advancing the trans-Afghan railway project, trilateral transit and trade, challenges to regional connectivity and other matters.

The minutes of the meeting, which was signed between these countries, focused on strengthening trilateral economic relations and regional connectivity through trade development, more transit facilities, increasing joint investments, reducing costs, transportation facilities, digitalization of customs systems, strengthening and expanding the banking system, food security, issuing visas, and also solving transit problems and strengthening trilateral transit.

“This is a significant step towards strengthening of economic ties and regional connectivity. Bright prospects for trade, investment, and connectivity lie ahead for mutual benefit of three countries,” Gohar Ejaz, the Minister of Commerce of Pakistan, said on X.

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Business

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

Published

3 hours 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

3 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.

Business

Afghanistan’s pine nut exports increase by 69 percent

Published

5 days ago

November 2, 2026

Ariana News

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.