Trump’s Tariff: What Does Afghanistan Export To The United States?
US President Donald Trump has announced a 10 percent base tariff on all goods imported into the United States, a sweeping move that also includes products from Afghanistan.
US President Donald Trump has announced a 10 percent base tariff on all goods imported into the United States, a sweeping move that also includes products from Afghanistan.
The measure, part of a broader revision of US trade policy, imposes additional tariffs on several major trade partners and is expected to impact Afghanistan’s export economy.
According to the Taliban-controlled National Statistics and Information Authority, Afghanistan exported $5.7 million worth of goods to the United States between March 2023 and March 2024. These exports included traditional Afghan products such as handwoven carpets, saffron, dried figs, snuff, brooms, kites, and other cultural and agricultural goods.
The annual report detailed the scale and value of these exports. Afghanistan exported approximately 13,000 square metres of carpets, worth $1 million. It also exported 500 kilograms of saffron valued at $530,000, 108,000 kilograms of dried figs worth $280,000, and 16,000 kilograms of betel leaves with a value of $130,000. A smaller quantity of dried garlic, 19 kilograms in total, was valued at just $41. Additional exports included 5,000 kilograms of construction materials worth $20,000 and kites valued at $100.
In addition to these, Afghanistan’s exports to the United States encompassed a wide range of goods such as quroot (dried cheese), honey, rosewater, tobacco, minerals, mint, felt, plastic bags, clay utensils, medicinal herbs, confectionery, laundry soap, henna, asafoetida, almonds, almond kernels, prunes, mulberries, apricots, and apples.
During the same period, the United States exported $23.4 million worth of goods to Afghanistan, resulting in a trade deficit of $17.7 million for Afghanistan.
Data from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative indicates that US exports to Afghanistan in 2024 dropped significantly to $11.4 million, marking a 76.9 percent decrease (equivalent to $38.2 million) from 2023. Meanwhile, U.S. imports from Afghanistan rose to $22.6 million, reflecting a 13.2 percent increase (or $2.6 million) from the previous year.
This shift in trade flow has led to a reversal in the U.S. trade balance with Afghanistan. In 2023, the United States held a trade surplus of $29.7 million with Afghanistan, but in 2024 that turned into a deficit of $11.1 million.
In 2022, Afghanistan’s exports to the United States were valued at $5.3 million, while U.S. exports to Afghanistan reached $34.7 million, creating a trade deficit of $29.4 million for Afghanistan.
According to the current US tariff schedule, Afghan goods exported to the United States are now subject to a 49 percent customs duty. The total trade volume between the two countries in 2024 is estimated at $34 million.
