ECONOMY — April 18, 2026
Kazakhstan Plans to Raise Trade Volume with Afghanistan to $3 Billion
Kazakhstan plans to increase its trade volume with Afghanistan from $500 million to $3 billion in the coming years, with Erkin Tokumov stating that infrastructure projects like the Torghundi-Herat railway will play a key role. Afghanistan is viewed as an important transit corridor to South Asia as trade with Central Asian countries grows and Islamic Emirate officials seek to boost exports and imports.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Hurriyat — 2 min read

Kazakhstan is set to raise the volume of its trade with Afghanistan substantially in the coming years. Officials have indicated that the target is to go from the current level of 500 million dollars to as much as 3 billion dollars. This represents a major increase in economic cooperation between the two nations.
The announcement was made by several officials, with particular comments from Erkin Tokumov. Tokumov is the Special Representative of the President of Kazakhstan for Afghan Affairs. He has highlighted several factors that will be important for reaching this new trade level.
One of the main elements mentioned is the development of various infrastructure projects. Among them, the Torghundi-Herat railway line will play a fundamental role. This railway is key to improving the capacity for trade and transportation between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan.
Furthermore, Tokumov has described Afghanistan as a key corridor. This corridor is vital for Kazakhstan to gain better access to international ports as well as to the transit routes that lead to South Asia. The position of Afghanistan is strategic for Kazakhstan's trade objectives in the wider region.
The comments also come against the backdrop of recent positive trends in the area. There has been a significant increase in the level of Afghanistan's transactions with a number of Central Asian countries.
In this environment, officials from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan are seeking to increase both exports and imports.
Read the original reporting at Hurriyat →
Reliability assessment
Single source with direct on-record attribution to named high-ranking official Erkin Tokumov (Special Representative on Afghan Affairs) providing concrete details including specific trade figures, infrastructure project names, and timelines
The source language reads straight.
Independent web corroboration
A separate web search returned 8 matching reports. A selection:
- Kazakhstan targets $3 billion trade expansion with Afghanistan | Ariana News | Afghanistan Newsariananews.af
Kazakhstan is aiming to boost its annual trade volume with Afghanistan to $3 billion, a significant rise from the current level of around $500 million, the Kazakh ambassador in Kabul has said.
- Kazakhstan Plans $3B Trade Expansion with Afghanistan, $500M Railway Investment – DID PRESS AGENCYen.didpress.com
Ghaziz Akbasov met with Abdul Wasi and stated that Kazakhstan aims to increase its annual trade volume with Afghanistan to $3 billion.
Kazakhstan aims to boost trade with Afghanistan to $3 billion amid transit push, reported in April 2026 matching the story timeframe and details.
Across the newsrooms
Filed by
Hurriyat
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Reported straight
Reported straight
Filed under
Economy — Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Erkin Tokumov, Torghundi-Herat, Trade
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