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Twenty tonnes of pine nuts flown from Afghanistan to China
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2018/11/14 15:04:22
TWENTY tonnes of pine nuts worth US$500,000 has been flown from Afghanistan to Shanghai, China. The flight marks the first air cargo link between the two nations as the landlocked South Asian nation looks to foreign markets to offset its trade deficit and expand Afghan companies' international trade volumes.
By enhancing links with overseas markets, the service aims to accelerate the growth of the farming and carpet-making industries, reported Reuters.
Up to 50 Afghan companies have partnered with Chinese firms to export pine nuts for the coming three months, said Afghanistan-China Business Council chairman Naseem Malekzai in Kabul.
"Soon we will be sending Afghan products to Beijing and Quanzhou," Mr Malekzai was quoted as saying.
Afghanistan's economy is heavily reliant on imports. Imports from China in 2017 amounted to US$1.09 billion, according to the Commerce Ministry.
"Our aim is to change Afghanistan to an exporter country. Pine nuts will be exported to China and to other markets," President Ashraf Ghani said at the launch of the inaugural flight.
The government has awarded subsidies of $2 million to exporters since Afghanistan opened air corridors with a number of countries, said a senior adviser to Mr Ghani, requesting anonymity.
"Afghan businessmen have achieved more than $10 million in profit by exporting their products through air corridors since 2017," he said. "China is a great market for our niche products."
India is by far the biggest destination, taking 87 per cent of exports shipped by air to bypass its archrival Pakistan.
By enhancing links with overseas markets, the service aims to accelerate the growth of the farming and carpet-making industries, reported Reuters.
Up to 50 Afghan companies have partnered with Chinese firms to export pine nuts for the coming three months, said Afghanistan-China Business Council chairman Naseem Malekzai in Kabul.
"Soon we will be sending Afghan products to Beijing and Quanzhou," Mr Malekzai was quoted as saying.
Afghanistan's economy is heavily reliant on imports. Imports from China in 2017 amounted to US$1.09 billion, according to the Commerce Ministry.
"Our aim is to change Afghanistan to an exporter country. Pine nuts will be exported to China and to other markets," President Ashraf Ghani said at the launch of the inaugural flight.
The government has awarded subsidies of $2 million to exporters since Afghanistan opened air corridors with a number of countries, said a senior adviser to Mr Ghani, requesting anonymity.
"Afghan businessmen have achieved more than $10 million in profit by exporting their products through air corridors since 2017," he said. "China is a great market for our niche products."
India is by far the biggest destination, taking 87 per cent of exports shipped by air to bypass its archrival Pakistan.