Rising air‑freight costs push Afghan dried‑fruit trade toward rail corridors

Afghan exporters of dried fruit are confronting a steep rise in air‑freight charges that threatens to erode profit margins. The surge follows the closure of the primary ground route through Pakistan and ongoing instability across West Asia. To keep their products – especially the golden raisin variety prized in South Asian markets – on the global market, traders are turning to rail corridors that link Afghanistan with Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The rail corridor, which docks at Iran’s Chabahar port, offers a cheaper but longer alternative to air shipments. Yet the option is not without drawbacks: the longer transit time, additional customs procedures, and the risk of interruption from regional disputes add layers of complexity.

Indian merchants operating in Kandahar have begun experimenting with this multimodal approach, buying dried fruit locally and moving it via road to the rail gateway before air‑freighting a portion to Delhi. One trader explained that the hybrid model allows him to balance cost and speed, even as air freight premiums remain volatile.

Despite these adjustments, overall trade volumes have fallen sharply. Container traffic that peaked at over 102,000 units in 2022‑23 dwindled to fewer than 12,000 containers by FY 2025‑26, valued at just $367 million. The decline underscores how logistical hurdles and geopolitical friction are reshaping Afghanistan’s export landscape.