Business

Pakistan to allow India to send wheat, medicine to Afghanistan by road

Published

5 years ago

February 16, 2022

Pakistan will allow India to use its territory to transport 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and medicine to Afghanistan, beginning this month, Pakistani customs officials said on Tuesday.

The permission of such a convoy is rare by Pakistan, which has barred the entry of goods from India for years as the relationship between the two nuclear-armed nations has deteriorated.

It marks a response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where poverty and hunger have spiralled since the collapse of the former government last year.

The first convoy of 60 trucks will cross from India to Pakistan at the Wagah border – a key goods transit point between the two countries – on February 22, Additional Director of Customs Beelam Ramzan told Reuters.

“The humanitarian assistance will be handed over to the World Food Program representative in Jalalabad,” Ramzan said.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) led administration has been using wheat as a payment for thousands of government workers, mostly labourers, as the country’s financial crisis intensifies.

An Indian government source said India was committed to providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and the methods of delivering aid were being worked out with Pakistan. The source added that India had already sent COVID-19 vaccines and medicines to Afghanistan, Reuters reported.

Related Topics:featured India Pakistan Wheat

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

Published

7 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.