Coronavirus outbreak affecting China-Afghan trade

Kabul, Feb 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Afghan officials have said that the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China has affected trade relations between the two countries, which share a small border, a media report said.

Air corridors were the most used route for Afghan investors to send their exports to China, and statistics by the Chamber of Commerce and Investment reveal that more than 20 (metric) tonnes of dry fruit and saffron were sent to Beijing every week by the Turkish Airlines, but the flights have stopped due to the coronavirus outbreak, the TOLO News report said on Sunday.

"The issue that has been explained to us so far is that Turkish Airlines, which transfers Afghan goods through the air corridor to China, has halted its flights for one week," said Sayed Zaman Hashemi, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment.

The imports of fruits and vegetables from China have also stopped, according to local investors.

Afghanistan imports 250 types of goods from China, investors said.

"The prices are on the rise because the imports from China are zero," said Gada Mohammad Kohdamani, an investor.

Figures by the National Statistics and Information Authority show that Afghanistan's imports from China were worth $1.2 billion last year.

China is the second biggest exporter of goods to Afghanistan after Iran.

On Monday, the number of deaths in China rose to 361, with 17,205 confirmed cases and 475 discharged from hospital, according to the National Health Commission.

More than 152,700 people are under observation, among which there are a total of 21,558 suspected cases.

Source: IANS