BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 21
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
The trade between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan for the first half of this year amounted to $229.7 million, which is 15.3 percent less than a year earlier, Trend reports citing Kazakh media.
Most of the trade between the two countries - more than 99 percent at once - is exported: goods worth $228 million were supplied from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan. It was in the export segment that a decrease in trade between the countries was noted: minus 15.7 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.
In turn, imports from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan immediately grew 2.3 times over the year, up to $1.7 million. However, this is only 0.8 percent of the trade turnover between the countries.
The most important export product category in Kazakhstan's trade with Afghanistan is flour. In 6M2021, 65.5 percent of the total volume of flour in kind supplied from Kazakhstan to foreign markets was sent to Afghanistan (and in value terms - 67.5 percent). Also, it is to Afghanistan that a large share of wheat exported from Kazakhstan is sent - 11.8 percent.
Given the current turbulent situation in Afghanistan, Kazakhstani exporters of flour and grain, as well as other important products, may find themselves in a difficult situation. Kazakhstan also supplies barley, fats, and oils of animal and vegetable origin, sugar, grain products, flour confectionery, fertilizers, textiles, etc. to Afghanistan.
In addition, confectionery, mineral and table water, sand, clothing, as well as some fasteners, air and vacuum pumps, taps, etc. are imported from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan. However, imports from Afghanistan do not play a key role for Kazakhstan in any category of products.
In general, relations between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan have developed in many areas. For example, more and more Afghan citizens are coming to Kazakhstan. So, for six months from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, according to official data, 113 people arrived, 15.6 percent of all non-CIS citizens who arrived in Kazakhstan. Among the countries outside the Commonwealth, more people than from Afghanistan arrived in Kazakhstan only from China - 121 people (or 16.7 percent).
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