Business
Trade Chamber welcomes preferential pact with Kabul but flags persistent barriers
The chamber also criticized delays in visa issuance for Afghan businessmen, calling for a streamlined process to facilitate greater economic engagement.
The Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) has welcomed the signing of a preferential trade agreement (PTA) between Islamabad and Kabul but expressed concern over ongoing obstacles hampering bilateral and transit trade.
The agreement, formalized earlier this week by Pakistan’s Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul and Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Mullah Ahmadullah Zahid, reduces tariffs on key agricultural exports.
Under the new terms, duties on Afghan grapes, pomegranates, apples, and tomatoes — as well as Pakistani mangoes, oranges, bananas, and potatoes — have been slashed from over 60% to 27%, with a further reduced 22% rate for tomatoes and potatoes.
“This progress builds on discussions held during the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) meeting on December 17, 2024,” PAJCCI Chairman Muhammad Zubair Motiwala said in a statement Saturday.
“This milestone reflects our longstanding demands, pursued through consistent efforts and reinforced during the SIFC meeting, marking a significant step towards enhancing trade,” he said.
However, despite the agreement, PAJCCI President Junaid Makda warned that structural and regulatory hurdles continue to undermine trade potential. He noted that bilateral and transit trade volumes have plummeted from a peak of $2.5 billion to just $1.2 billion in 2024, The Express Tribune reported.
“As outlined in our recent letter to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, these issues include the lack of a consistent, long-term trade policy from the Ministry of Commerce and the State Bank of Pakistan, creating uncertainty among traders and discouraging investment,” Makda said.
He added that payment disputes — fueled by banking limitations — have triggered unwarranted scrutiny by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), further eroding traders’ confidence. The temporary nature of Electronic Import Form (EIF) waivers also complicates planning and logistics for businesses engaged in cross-border commerce.
The chamber also criticized delays in visa issuance for Afghan businessmen, calling for a streamlined process to facilitate greater economic engagement.
In addition, the chamber raised concerns over the 1% infrastructure development levy imposed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. While the rate has been reduced, PAJCCI argues it still burdens transit trade and contravenes Pakistan’s international trade commitments.
The chamber warned that such fees are driving some trade to alternative routes such as Iran’s Chahbahar port, undermining Pakistan’s regional competitiveness, Dawn News reported.
PAJCCI urged the federal government to implement systemic reforms to eliminate policy inconsistencies and operational inefficiencies that continue to stifle trade growth between the two neighboring countries.
Business
Afghanistan invites Turkish investors to expand joint investments
Participants stressed the importance of increasing private sector cooperation and creating new opportunities to boost trade and investment between Afghanistan and Türkiye.
A high-level Afghan business delegation, led by the Chairman of the Balkh Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Mohammad Ibrahim Ghazanfar, participated in the Afghanistan–Türkiye Joint Business Council meeting in Istanbul, calling for expanded joint investment and stronger economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement from the Balkh Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Ghazanfar invited Turkish investors and industrialists to explore investment opportunities across various sectors in Afghanistan, emphasizing the country’s potential for mutually beneficial partnerships.
The meeting brought together business leaders, investors, and private sector representatives from both Afghanistan and Türkiye to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties.
During the event, several cooperation agreements were signed between Afghan and Turkish economic institutions. The agreements are aimed at expanding commercial relations, promoting joint investment projects, and enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting was chaired by Süleyman Güllü, Chairman of the Türkiye–Afghanistan Joint Business Council, and was attended by Mohammad Akbar Azimi, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Consul General in Istanbul, along with a number of businessmen and investors from both countries.
Participants stressed the importance of increasing private sector cooperation and creating new opportunities to boost trade and investment between Afghanistan and Türkiye.
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening bilateral trade, investment, and business cooperation between India and Afghanistan.
The agreement was signed in New Delhi by Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General of ASSOCHAM, and Sayed Mohammad Karim Hashemi, Chairman of ACCI, during a meeting between business leaders from the two countries, ASSOCHAM said in a statement.
The Afghan delegation, led by Hashemi, held discussions with Nirmal Kumar Minda, President of ASSOCHAM, and other officials on ways to expand bilateral trade, investment flows, and private-sector cooperation.
According to ASSOCHAM, the MoU seeks to strengthen institutional collaboration, promote business-to-business linkages, and facilitate greater trade and investment opportunities between India and Afghanistan.
The organization said it remains committed to fostering stronger economic ties and creating new avenues of cooperation between the business communities of both countries.
Kazakhstan has signed a major zinc ore supply agreement with an Afghan company as the two countries continue to expand economic cooperation and trade ties.
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration, the contract was signed between Kazakhstan’s ShalkiyaZinc and Afghanistan’s Afghan German Bakhtar Company during the opening of the Kazakhstan Trade House in Kabul.
The signing took place as part of an official business mission led by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy, Serik Zhumangarin.
Under the agreement, Afghan German Bakhtar Company will supply approximately 30,000 tons of zinc ore annually on DAP (Delivered at Place) terms. The ore will be used as raw material for the production facilities of Kazakhstan’s Kazzinc. The total value of the contract is estimated at $18.88 million.
The deal marks a significant step in diversifying trade relations between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan, moving beyond traditional agricultural exports into the mining and industrial sectors.
“Afghanistan today is a market of opportunities,” said Kanat Kudaibergen, Chairman of the Board of GWM Capital LTD. He noted that while Kazakhstan’s exports to Afghanistan have historically consisted mainly of flour, grain, sunflower oil, and other agricultural products, demand is increasingly growing for machinery, equipment, and service solutions in agriculture, construction, and mining.
Kudaibergen expressed confidence that the newly established Trade House in Kabul would serve as an important platform for developing new business projects and expanding Kazakhstan’s non-resource exports.
The agreement follows recent discussions between Kazakh officials and Afghanistan’s leadership, including Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar, during which Kazakhstan expressed interest in sourcing zinc ore from Afghanistan.
Preparations for the deal began last year when specialists from Tau-Ken Samruk visited Afghanistan’s Bamyan province to assess the Pami-Kakrak zinc deposit. Samples collected during the visit were later analyzed by Kazzinc, which confirmed the feasibility of processing the ore at Kazakh facilities.
Economic relations between the two countries have been steadily strengthening. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy reported that bilateral trade reached $541.8 million in 2025. Both governments have set an ambitious target of increasing annual trade turnover to $3 billion in the coming years.
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