Business
Pakistani chamber calls on Islamabad to urgently reopen trade route from Afghanistan
SCCI chief fears bilateral trade could grind to a halt completely if Islamabad fails to resolve the issue urgently
Pakistan’s Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has called on Islamabad to take steps to reopen the key Afghanistan-Pakistan Highway for trade and transportation.
In a statement issued this week, SCCI President Fazal Moqeem said trade has been brought to a halt due to the closure of Afghanistan-Pakistan trade routes over the past few months.
He said the mutual trade volume and transit trade had dropped to an alarming level owing to the closure of the trade route. As a result, trade has shifted from Pakistan to Iran and Central Asian Republics.
The SCCI chief feared bilateral trade would grind to a halt completely if Islamabad fails to resolve the issue urgently.
“This will not only be detrimental to the national economy but also trigger unemployment owing to the closure of business and trade,” said Muqeem.
Meanwhile, Zahidullah Shinwari, a businessman, stated that the bilateral trade volume level had decreased substantially, and that traders on both sides have incurred huge financial losses.
Shinwari said local people and travellers also faced enormous hardships due to the blockaded highway. He called on Islamabad to urgently resolve the problem.
Shinwari called for a solution to be found to the issue with mutual consensus and negotiation.
The ongoing trade challenges, including route closures, rising customs tariffs, and what Afghanistan sees as Pakistan’s disregard for established trade agreements, have had a significant impact on Afghan exports.
For Afghanistan, Pakistan remains one of the most important trading partners. The two countries share long-standing economic ties, with Afghanistan relying heavily on Pakistan as a market for its agricultural products, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and dry fruits.
The reduction in Afghan exports comes at a critical time when the country’s economy is in dire need of stability and growth. The disruption of trade routes and the imposition of tariffs further complicate efforts to strengthen Afghanistan’s trade sector and promote economic recovery.
Business
Afghanistan, Belarus discuss expanding industrial and trade cooperation
Particular attention was given to companies producing tractors, industrial machinery, and equipment and vehicles used in the mining sector.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, met with Belarus’ Minister of Industry during an official visit to the country.
The two sides discussed the establishment of manufacturing plants in Afghanistan, the regular organization of the Afghanistan-Belarus Business Forum, and follow-up on issues raised through the countries’ economic commission.
Belarusian officials expressed appreciation for Afghanistan’s participation in the country’s international industrial exhibition and voiced interest in expanding the presence of Belarusian manufacturing companies in Afghanistan.
Particular attention was given to companies producing tractors, industrial machinery, and equipment and vehicles used in the mining sector.
The second International Industrial Exhibition of Belarus is being held with the participation of around 500 companies from different countries. The exhibition has also attracted visitors from European and Asian countries.
Business
Afghanistan, Tajikistan seek stronger trade and investment ties
The two sides discussed increasing trade exchanges, establishing direct links between traders and investors, and organizing joint economic programs.
The heads of the chambers of commerce and industry of Afghanistan and Tajikistan have agreed to strengthen bilateral trade, promote investment and expand cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries.
Sayed Karim Hashemi, head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), held an online meeting with Farhad Shah Rahman Alizoda, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tajikistan, to discuss ways to expand economic ties.
The two sides discussed increasing trade exchanges, establishing direct links between traders and investors, and organizing joint economic programs.
Hashemi invited Tajik traders and investors to participate in the fifth Imam Abu Hanifa International Exhibition in Kabul.
Alizoda, meanwhile, invited an Afghan business delegation to attend a major trade and industrial exhibition in Dushanbe.
The two sides also stressed the importance of exchanging business delegations and developing long-term cooperation between the private sectors of Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Business
Kazakhstan grain shipments to Afghanistan rise over 4-fold
Of the total, 7.2 million tons were transported for export, while 2.1 million tons were supplied to the domestic market.
Grain shipments from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan increased 4.4 times in the first eight months of the year, reaching 655,000 tons, according to Kazakhstan’s Transport Vice Minister Zhanibek Taizhanov.
Speaking at a government meeting, Taizhanov said Kazakhstan transported 9.3 million tons of grain by rail during the period, a 13% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
Of the total, 7.2 million tons were transported for export, while 2.1 million tons were supplied to the domestic market.
Taizhanov said grain shipments to Central Asia increased by 37%, while shipments to China rose by 34%. Grain exports through Russian ports also increased by 9%.
Meanwhile, combined fodder exports rose by 38% to 2.6 million tons.
Earlier, Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov said the country plans to commission 15 additional vegetable storage facilities by the end of 2026, with a combined capacity of 129,000 tons.
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