阿富汗托克汉姆港口加速与中国的贸易
https://english.news.cn/20230628/222592690f704df59c131533fcbc66d3/c.html
新华社2023-06-28
2023年5月16日拍摄的照片显示，阿富汗楠格哈尔省巴基斯坦和阿富汗之间的托克汉姆过境点满载商品的卡车。 新华社发（赛弗拉曼·萨菲摄）
阿富汗东部楠格哈尔省的托克汉姆连接邻国巴基斯坦和中国，被认为是一个主要的过境点，通过饱受战争蹂躏的阿富汗连接南亚和中亚。
新华社喀布尔6月28日电 在阿富汗东部托克汉姆陆港，站在十几个集装箱旁等待接收从中国进口的货物，阿富汗商人帕维兹·汗表示，他与中国合作伙伴的生意改变了他的生活条件。
“自从12年前开始创业以来，我的生活条件发生了变化，现在我有车有房，生活一帆风顺，”汗告诉新华社。
阿富汗东部楠格哈尔省的托克汉姆连接邻国巴基斯坦和中国，被认为是一个主要的过境点，通过饱受战争蹂躏的阿富汗连接南亚和中亚。
从中国进口化妆品，汗表示，中国产品价格合理，深受阿富汗人欢迎。他和其他阿富汗贸易商通过巴基斯坦卡拉奇港从中国进口货物，交货时间约为三个月。
2023 年 5 月 16 日拍摄的照片显示，人们在巴基斯坦和阿富汗楠格哈尔省之间的托克汉姆过境点。 新华社发（赛弗拉曼·萨菲摄）
汗指出，从中国运输一个集装箱到阿富汗托尔克姆需要花费20万至25万阿富汗尼（2,300至2,900美元）。
托克汉姆过境点总是熙熙攘攘，每天都有数十万人忙着做生意，买卖各种物品以维持家人的生计。“将25吨或27吨货物从边境小镇海拉坦运到巴基斯坦白沙瓦需要20至25天，”卡车司机奥斯坦说。
边境城镇托尔卡姆专员穆夫提·埃斯马图拉 (Torkham Mufti Esmatullah) 表示，每天有 400 或 450 个集装箱在通往巴基斯坦的边境城镇托尔卡姆被清关，几乎相同数量的集装箱运往阿富汗。
“其中大部分是来自中国的商品，”他补充道。
这位官员表示，阿富汗向中国出口的产品包括松子、杏仁和核桃。
2023年5月16日拍摄的照片显示，阿富汗楠格哈尔省巴基斯坦和阿富汗之间的托克汉姆过境点满载商品的卡车。 新华社发（赛弗拉曼·萨菲摄）
不过，他承认，电汇（TT）仍然是阿富汗商人与其中国合作伙伴之间开展业务的障碍，因为由于美国对阿富汗银行系统的限制，阿富汗人无法转账。
埃斯马图拉对新华社表示：“我们的要求是与阿富汗贸易商合作，让贸易免受政治影响。”
尽管如此，该官员指出，阿富汗当局一直在努力保持托克汉姆过境点全天候开放，并降低关税，作为扩大商业活动努力的一部分。
楠格哈尔省公共关系官员库里希·巴德隆说：“托尔卡姆港作为一个枢纽对阿富汗来说非常重要，因为包括中国在内的贸易商的货物进入该国。”
“通过托尔卡姆港，我们与中国建立了良好的贸易关系，因此我们更加重视它，”他补充道。
Afghanistan's Torkham port gears up trade with China
https://english.news.cn/20230628/222592690f704df59c131533fcbc66d3/c.html
Xinhua 2023-06-28
Photo taken on May 16, 2023 shows trucks full of commercial goods at the border crossing point of Torkham between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
Torkham in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, which connects neighboring Pakistan onward to China, has been regarded as a major border crossing, linking South Asia and Central Asia via the war-torn Afghanistan.
KABUL, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Standing besides a dozen containers at the Torkham land port of eastern Afghanistan and waiting to receive his goods imported from China, Afghan businessman Parwiz Khan said his business with Chinese partners had changed his living conditions.
"Since I began my business 12 years ago, my living conditions have changed, as today I have a car, a house, and life is going on smoothly," Khan told Xinhua.
Torkham in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, which connects neighboring Pakistan onward to China, has been regarded as a major border crossing, linking South Asia and Central Asia via the war-torn Afghanistan.
Importing cosmetics from China, Khan said Chinese products are popular among Afghans due to their reasonable pricing, adding that he and other Afghan traders import their goods from China through the Pakistani port of Karachi, and it took about three months to deliver the goods.
Photo taken on May 16, 2023 shows people at the border crossing point of Torkham between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
It costs 200,000 to 250,000 afghanis (2,300 to 2,900 U.S. dollars) to transport one container from China to Torkham of Afghanistan, Khan noted.
The Torkham crossing point is always hustle and bustle, as hundreds of thousands of people are busy with their businesses every day, buying and selling a variety of items to earn a livelihood for their families.
"It takes 20 to 25 days to transport 25 tons or 27 tons of goods from the border town of Hairatan to Pakistan's Peshawar," truck driver Ostan said.
Each day 400 or 450 containers are cleared in the border town of Torkham towards Pakistan and almost the same number comes to Afghanistan, commissioner of the border town of Torkham Mufti Esmatullah said.
"The majority of them are goods from China," he added.
Afghanistan's exports to China include pine nuts, almonds and walnut, the official said.
Photo taken on May 16, 2023 shows trucks full of commercial goods at the border crossing point of Torkham between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
However, he admitted that telegraphic transfer (TT) has remained an obstacle in business between Afghan traders and their Chinese partners, as Afghans cannot transfer money due to restrictions imposed by the United States on the Afghan banking system.
"Our request is to cooperate with Afghan traders and exempt trade from politics," Esmatullah told Xinhua.
Nevertheless, the official noted that Afghan authorities have been working to keep the Torkham crossing point open around the clock and reduce tariffs as part of the efforts to expand business activities.
"The Torkham port as a pivotal point is important for Afghanistan as traders' goods including those from China enter the country," said Qurishi Badlon, public relations officer of Nangarhar province.
"Via the Torkham port, we have established good trade relations with China, and therefore we attach more importance to it," he added. ■
