In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the head of the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan, Khurshed Karimzoda noted on July 30 that a two-way trade between Tajikistan Afghanistan and transit of goods to Tajikistan through Afghan territory have decreased dramatically due to events that have happened in northern provinces of Afghanistan over the past two months.
“If in January-February, up to 50 vehicles crossed the border every day, now no more than two or three vehicles, and sometimes there is not a single vehicle for days, Tajik top customs officer said.
It is to be noted that the bilateral trade between Tajikistan and Afghanistan is not so large. Thus, the bilateral trade between them last year valued at only 70.7 million U.S. dollars. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Afghanistan estimated at US$69.8 million and Tajikistan’s imports from Afghanistan worth US$900,000.
The bulk of this trade is not even tangible items. Fully 65 percent of Tajik exports is electricity.
Tajikistan imports some volumes of citrus fruits, bananas, potatoes and sometimes carrots from Pakistan, though.
Some experts consider that if Afghanistan ceases to be a viable transit country for a period, it will cause some discomfort on the Tajik market, which has witnessed steeply rising food prices during the coronavirus pandemic.
