India and Afghanistan agree to minimal tariff: Taliban Commerce minister

New Delhi: Afghanistan’s Commerce and Industry Minister Alhaj Nooruddin Azizi on Sunday urged Indian businesses to expand their presence in Afghanistan, calling the country “the safest place in the world today.” Addressing a press conference in Delhi during his visit to the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Azizi said Afghanistan offers vast opportunities across mining, agriculture, construction, and healthcare, and welcomed Indian companies to establish hospitals and industrial units.

The minister announced that Afghanistan would charge only 1 per cent tariff on machinery imported by Indian firms investing in the country, offering what he called a competitive advantage for long-term industrial projects. Speaking specifically about gold mining opportunities, he said Afghanistan requires specialised teams.

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“Gold mining will definitely require the technical and professional team or professional companies. So initially, we are requesting that you send your team — they can do research, do the exploration, and then start work. However, the condition is that we expect processing to take place inside the country so jobs can be created,” he said.

Kabul is aiming to significantly expand bilateral trade with India, currently valued at around USD 1 billion, he said. Visa-related issues have largely been addressed, and both sides are exploring new connectivity options, including air corridors and the Chabahar port. “We have many options,” Azizi noted.

Azizi also urged New Delhi to remove remaining “minor” hurdles obstructing trade expansion. “We want to build the relationship between India and Afghanistan. There are some minor hurdles like visa, air corridor, banking transactions. These have to be sorted to improve bilateral trade and investment,” he said, speaking in the presence of Indian government officials.

This marks the first visit by an Afghan minister to ITPO since 2021, taking place at a time of rising Afghanistan–Pakistan tensions, including frequent border shutdowns that have disrupted Afghan exports. The disruptions, he said, have pushed Afghanistan to diversify trade and expand commercial ties with India. The minister is currently on a six-day visit to India.