Business
Railway Authority sees marked increase in rail cargo volume over past year
Afghanistan Railway Authority officials said on Monday at a press conference that during the year 1401, 4.67 million metric tons of goods were transferred by rail into the country.
“During the year 1401, a total of 4,673,929 metric tons of transfers were made through the Hairatan, Aqena and Torghondi ports which is a 36 percent increase compared to last year,” said Mullah Bakhtur Rahman Sharaf, head of the railway authority.
According to Sharaf, a total of 3.1 billion afghanis in revenue has been collected through the management of railways coming into the country.
Officials said that during the year 1401, a total of 12,492 metric tons of exports, 253,603 metric tons of transit and 4,407,834 metric tons of imports were handled by the country’s ports, most of which were dry and fresh fruits, food items, and minerals.
Sharaf said that during the last solar year, visits have been made to the countries of Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran in order to strengthen the level of regional cooperation, create an economic corridor and start the preliminary stages of implementing the Trans-Afghan railway project.
ARA officials said the contract for services and transfers at Hairatan – Mazar-e-Sharif port, which was previously signed with the Uzbek Sogdiana Trans Company at a total cost of about $32 million dollars, has been renewed but at a vast reduction. Fees are now $3.7 million dollars.
Officials say that during the last year, necessary coordination has been provided to technical teams from Uzbekistan and Pakistan, and as a result of the initial survey of the Trans Afghanistan route, work will soon start. Once complete, this will connect the countries of Central Asia with Afghanistan through to South Asia.
According to the officials, the restoration of parts of the Khaf-Herat Railway Project, the completion of work on the Aqina-Andkhoy railway line and its handover by Turkmenistan to the IEA government, training of 39 railway authority employees by Iran and Turkmenistan and obtaining scholarships from neighboring countries are other achievements in the past solar year.
According to the officials, in order to provide better and reliable services, speed up the process of transfers and collect revenues in a transparent manner, continuous efforts have been started to digitize the systems.
Pakistan’s kinno exports remain far below potential as regional tensions, high freight costs and weak government support continue to choke the citrus trade.
Despite being a leading global citrus producer, Pakistan is expected to export just 400,000–450,000 tonnes of kinno in the 2025–26 season, compared with an estimated capacity of 700,000–800,000 tonnes.
Exports in 2024–25 stood at around 350,000–400,000 tonnes, mainly to Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Central Asia. While better fruit quality this season has raised hopes, persistent crossing disruptions—especially with Afghanistan—and transport bottlenecks have offset gains.
Growers say prices have collapsed sharply, forcing panic sales. Rates for large kinno have fallen from over Rs120 per kg early in the season to as low as Rs75, while smaller fruit is selling for Rs35–40 per kg amid weak demand.
Industry leaders warn the crisis is crippling processing units and jobs. More than 100 factories reportedly failed to open this season, with dozens more shutting down as exports stall. Cold storages in Sargodha are nearly full, putting fruit worth millions of dollars at risk of spoilage, while growers fear losses of up to Rs10 billion.
Exporters are urging the government to urgently resolve issues, subsidise logistics, and help access alternative markets, warning that prolonged inaction could devastate farmers, workers and the wider economy.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Tehran will facilitate trade and economic exchanges with Afghanistan, including easing procedures at customs and local marketplaces.
He made the remarks during a televised interview following his visit to South Khorasan province, which shares a border with Afghanistan.
Pezeshkian, in a separate event addressing local business leaders, highlighted the province’s strategic advantages, citing its rich mineral resources, proximity to neighboring countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, and access to the ocean via the Chabahar port. He described the region as “a golden opportunity not found everywhere,” emphasizing its potential for economic growth and cross-border commerce.
A Kazakh delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Finance of Kazakhstan met with Sediqullah Khalid, First Deputy Governor of Da Afghanistan Bank, to discuss ways of strengthening banking and economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement issued by Da Afghanistan Bank, Khalid said the central bank is keen to establish regular and effective banking relations with Kazakhstan as part of broader efforts to expand bilateral trade.
He noted that enhanced banking cooperation would help facilitate trade, investment, and wider economic interaction between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, while also contributing to financial stability at the regional level.
Members of the Kazakh delegation also emphasized the importance of developing banking and economic ties and expressed their readiness to expand joint cooperation.
The two sides further agreed to establish technical committees from both countries to hold expert-level discussions and advance practical steps for cooperation.
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