IRAN has agreed to permit Afghanistan to use one of its ports, sparking optimism that the deal will boost exports of goods such as fruit and carpets to the outside world and avoid politically troubled Pakistan.
Afghan makes Iran port deal to avoid Pakistan to reach outside world IRAN has agreed to permit Afghanistan to use one of its ports, sparking optimism that the deal will boost exports of goods such as fruit and carpets to the outside world and avoid politically troubled Pakistan.
It would also reduce Afghanistan's heavy reliance for exporting most of its sea freight from Karachi, which can be off limits to the landlocked nation when disputes arise.
"We want to export to Central Asia and Europe, India wants to use the port to send goods to Afghanistan," Afghan Commerce and Industry Ministry spokesman Wahidullah Ghazikhel told Reuters.
"We are very interested in exporting to European countries and working on other ways [that avoid Pakistan]," he said.
In recent years Pakistan has closed its border with Afghanistan at least twice, cutting US military supplies to Afghanistan, as well as routine trade. In the most recent disruption, Afghan truckers were banned from Karachi, delaying containers three months.
Perishable goods inside the containers spoiled, including milk and eggs, and freight forwarders/shippers were charged a total of US$10 million for renting storage space for backlogged containers, Mr Ghazikhel said.
Afghanistan regards agriculture as the growth engine of its economy, having invested millions of dollars in businesses that aim to export many types of fresh and dried fruit to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Other exports include saffron and carpets. The nation relies on imports for the bulk of its food.
