KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban authorities have reported a decrease in exports in the last month of the solar year compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, while imports increased during the same reporting period.
The National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA), under Taliban control, revealed that Afghanistan exported goods totaling $134.1 million in the last month, while imports amounted to $793.5 million.
The reported amount is $42.6 million more than last year’s figures which were $176.7 million.
Afghanistan’s imports amounted to $694.6 million last year, according to the report. However, this year, with an increase of $98.9 million, imports reached $793.5 million.
According to NISA statistics, Pakistan, India, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as the primary and largest export destination of Afghanistan goods, whereas China and Pakistan were the countries from which Afghan traders predominantly imported.
For most of the solar year that concludes in a couple of weeks, Iran was the largest importing country for goods and commodities to Afghanistan.
Meanwhile the January 2024 report from the World Bank indicates a smaller decline in exports than what the Taliban report shows, compared to the corresponding period last year. The World Bank reports this year’s figure standing at $140.5 million, down from $148.1 million during the same period the previous year.
According to the World Bank report, coal exports suffered a notable decline, plummeting by 87% to $3.9 million. This downturn occurred as Pakistan, the primary importer of Afghanistan’s coal, opted for cheaper domestic coal.
Food exports to India increased by 22%, while those to Pakistan decreased by 18%. Pakistan and India continued to be the top export destinations in January 2024, representing 45% and 34% of total exports, respectively.
Furthermore, the World Bank report shows a 37% surge in imports this year, reaching $830 million compared to $600 million during the same period last year.
The report highlights that the increase in imports extended across diverse sectors, encompassing food, minerals, textiles, machinery, transportation, and chemicals. “Food imports, for instance, grew by 14 percent year-on-year to $170 million in January 2024, with significant contributions from cereals, vegetables, and fruits,” it said.
In January 2024, the World Bank report revealed that Iran constituted the primary source of imports, making up 32%, followed by the UAE at 27%, Pakistan at 14%, and China at 5%.
According to the report, Afghanistan’s actual imports are estimated to be around $5.5 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of approximately $3.5 billion.
