Regional Tensions Disrupt Afghanistan’s Trade, Cargo Transport
Amid rising regional tensions and conflict, several private sector organizations say Afghanistan’s trade has been disrupted and the transportation of goods has encountered growing challenges.
The Afghan Traders Council in the United Arab Emirates says the conflict has negatively affected Afghanistan’s trade and created serious obstacles for parts of the country’s commercial activities.
According to the council, after Afghanistan’s trade with Pakistan was suspended, part of the country’s cargo was redirected from Karachi Port to Jebel Ali Port. However, with the outbreak of the recent conflict, those shipments have remained stranded at Jebel Ali.
Haji Obaidullah Saderkhail, head of the council, said: “Some shipments remain stuck at Bandar Abbas Port, while others are facing problems along transit routes. This situation has created difficulties for traders and the public. If goods do not reach Afghanistan’s markets on time, the prices of raw materials will rise further. The impact of these increases is already visible in the market, and if the conflict continues, ordinary people will bear the greatest burden.”
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock says it has sent a delegation to Iran to help resolve problems facing Afghan traders whose goods are stranded at the ports of Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, and Jebel Ali.
The chamber said the purpose of the visit is to assess transit-related challenges, find solutions for transporting the goods, and reduce the losses suffered by Afghan importers and exporters.
Omid Haidari, head of the chamber’s international relations department, said: “This situation was unforeseen, and our traders did not expect such a problem. It is an unexpected event. We are now working with the Islamic Emirate and Iranian authorities to find an appropriate solution so traders can resume the regular transportation and transit of their goods as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, the Kabul Dry Fruit Exporters Union says the conflict and the disruption of overland transport routes have negatively affected Afghanistan’s exports, particularly dried fruits.
The union added that using alternative routes has increased both transportation time and costs for traders.
Ahmad Khalid Rahmani, the union’s spokesperson, said: “The air corridor for exports remains operational, but the alternative overland route through Türkiye to India has tripled transportation costs, and shipments along this route take around three months to reach their destination.”
Afghanistan’s dependence on transit routes through neighboring countries means that any regional crisis can quickly have a negative impact on the country’s trade, commodity prices, and exports.
