Afghanistan to reroute coal exports to Uzbekistan under new trade deals

The spokesperson for the governor of Afghanistan’s Balkh province, Haji Zaid, announced that important trade agreements have been signed with Uzbekistan. According to him, under these agreements, Afghanistan will now export its coal to Uzbekistan instead of Pakistan.

According to Afghanistan International, Uzbekistan also plans to export high-quality cement and pharmaceutical products to Afghanistan. Border closures and the disruption of trade with Pakistan have pushed the Taliban to strengthen commercial ties with neighboring and regional countries, particularly Iran and Uzbekistan.

Earlier, Taliban officials stated that Afghanistan’s agricultural products would be exported to Central Asian, South Asian and European markets via air routes through Uzbekistan.

The Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs has urged entrepreneurs to seek alternative routes for trade and transit. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance said the breakdown of trade relations with Pakistan had not negatively affected Afghanistan’s overall trade and that customs revenues had not declined. The ministry added that it would fully support entrepreneurs in strengthening trade through alternative channels.

Following heightened tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, the closure of the Torkham border crossing in October reportedly caused more than $4.5 billion in losses to trade and the economies of Afghanistan and Pakistan.