Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) says Iran was Afghanistan�s biggest trade partner in the last solar year - March 2017 to 21 March 2018 - and exported goods to the value of over $1.98 billion USD.

The ACCI said trade volume between Afghanistan and Pakistan was $1.2 billion USD in the same time, and $1 billion USD with China.

Now Iran is our biggest (trade) partner, ACCI deputy chief Khan Jan Alokozay told.

Iran has surpassed Pakistan�s place, which means we have more than two billion dollars in imports and exports with Iran. Imports are high but exports are a lot less. Meanwhile transit is also good through that route (Iran).

According to ACCI, Afghanistan�s trade volume with all countries for the year totals $7 billion USD annually.

An economist, Qais Mohammadi, said government should increase exports as the value is a lot less than that involving imports.

In order to increase exports of a country, there should be a focus on products other countries need (from Afghanistan), but government has not worked on this matter so far, he said.

Afghanistan�s main imports from Iran are construction materials, food and fuel.

ACCI�s statistics show that Afghanistan has exported at least one million tons of goods to other countries in the last year, particularly to Pakistan.