KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan exported 466 tons of fresh and dried fruits worth $643 million during the solar year 1403 (March 2024 to March 2025), according to the Taliban authorities.
The office of the Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs revealed the figures in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. Among the exported fruits were almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, prunes, figs, raisins, apricots, pomegranates, grapes, and apples.
Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Turkey were named as the top buyers of Afghanistan’s fruit.
Fresh and dried fruits make up a significant portion of the country’s export items. In the fourth quarter of the year 1403 alone, Afghanistan exported $160.7 million worth of these fruits, as per the Taliban-run National Statistics and Information Authority.
However, recent tensions between India and Pakistan have caused disruption in trade, particularly through the Attari-Wagah border crossing, which has been closed following a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Reports indicate that nearly 100 trucks carrying Afghan dry fruits are stranded at the border.
Afghan traders have warned that if the closure persists, it could severely impact their business, particularly with the fresh fruit season nearing. Alternative routes, like the Chabahar port, also face significant logistical challenges.
Afghanistan is largely dependent on imports, with a trade deficit estimated at approximately $8.8 billion in 2024, according to the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency. The country’s main imports in 2024 included diesel, petrol, wheat flour, vehicle parts, liquefied gas, cotton textiles, pharmaceutical products, cooking oil, and rice.
