Belarus Petroleum Exports to Afghanistan Increase 23-Fold in 2025

Sources from the Russian Commercial Center in Kabul reported that Belarus exported 381,000 tons of petroleum products to Afghanistan in 2025, a 23-fold increase from 16,000 tons in 2024.

The surge followed Afghanistan's announcement of new fuel quality standards, which banned imports of low-octane gasoline (Ai-80) and diesel with sulfur content exceeding 0.2 percent. These restrictions led to a sharp decline in petroleum purchases from Iran, redirecting Afghanistan's import market toward alternative suppliers including Belarus.

Separately, the Russian Oil and Gas Agency stated in January that Russia nearly doubled its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exports to Central Asian countries and Afghanistan from January to November, reaching over 1,016,000 tons.

This increase came after the European Union imposed restrictions on Russian LPG imports in December of the previous year, prompting Moscow to shift portions of its exports to alternative markets in Central Asia and Afghanistan.