Herat, Kazakh Traders Sign $20 Million in Trade Agreements

DID Press: Traders from Afghanistan’s western Herat province and Kazakhstan have signed trade agreements worth $20 million during a joint business meeting, with the deals aimed at expanding bilateral trade, increasing exports and strengthening economic cooperation between the two sides.

Younes Qazizadeh, head of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment, described Kazakhstan as an important trading partner for Afghanistan and called for increased trade volumes and greater facilities for Afghan traders.

Herat Governor Noor Ahmad Islam-Jar emphasized the province’s production and commercial potential for increasing exports of agricultural and manufactured products to Central Asian markets.

The Kazakh delegation also expressed readiness to expand trade and investment cooperation across various sectors.

The agreements come amid increased commercial engagement between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. Recent meetings in Herat have focused on expanding trade, transit and investment ties, while Afghan and Kazakh officials have also discussed strengthening the Torghundi crossing and transport links.

Official Kazakh data and recent reports indicate that trade between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan has been expanding. Ariana News reported that bilateral trade reached $581 million in the first six months of 2026, while another report citing Kazakh data put the figure at about $508 million, indicating differences among reported trade statistics.

The latest agreements are part of broader efforts to increase Afghan exports to Central Asian markets and position Herat as a regional trade and transit hub.