The World Bank said in its March report that Afghanistan’s coal exports fell to zero after border crossings with Pakistan were closed, cutting off a major export lifeline for the country.
According to the report, Afghanistan’s exports declined to $78 million in March, marking a 37.1 percent decrease compared with the previous month and a 21.8 percent drop compared with the same period last year.
The World Bank said the decline was the result of severe disruptions along the Pakistan border and conflicts in the Middle East, which affected established transit routes.
In March, food exports fell by 41.8 percent to $56.5 million, while textile exports increased to $13.6 million, partly due to access to China through Central Asia.
Afghanistan’s exports in fiscal year 2025 rose by 0.3 percent to $1.8 billion. Food products accounted for 83 percent of total exports.
In fiscal year 2025, India received 43.6 percent of Afghanistan’s exports, Pakistan 22.8 percent, and Uzbekistan 8 percent.
Afghanistan’s imports reached $1.04 billion in March, showing a 9 percent decline compared with the previous month but a 12 percent increase compared with last year.
Direct imports from Iran fell by 13.8 percent, while transit imports through Iran declined by 9.4 percent in March compared with the previous month.
Afghanistan’s imports in fiscal year 2025 reached $13.2 billion, representing a 15 percent increase compared with the previous fiscal year.
Iran remained Afghanistan’s largest source of imports with a 31.3 percent share, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 17.8 percent, China with 8.9 percent, and Turkmenistan with 8 percent.
