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Who does Afghanistan rely on?

The largest supplier of Afghanistan in 2024 is China, with 27% of what Afghanistan buys. Its share was 10.8% in 2019 and 10.6% in 1995. 248 of the 287 products Afghanistan buys for more than $1 million have a supplier selling more than 50% of what Afghanistan buys of that product; in 162, more than 75%. In those products, purchases from each one’s dominant supplier add up to 74.4% of what Afghanistan buys.

Summary

Largest supplier: China
27%
Concentration (HHI)
1,838
Products with a supplier above 50%
248
Products with a supplier above 75%
162

Concentration index (HHI): 1,838 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting purchases among 5 suppliers of the same size

Trend

Trend in shares

Pakistan went from 0% to 26.4% of what Afghanistan buys

Share (%)

  • China 27%
  • Pakistan 26.4%
  • Uzbekistan 16.1%
  • Kazakhstan 9.2%
  • India 5.8%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearLargest supplierShare
1995Japan28.3%
1996Japan23.4%
1997Japan22.7%
1998Japan19.2%
1999Japan21.8%
2000South Korea20%
2001South Korea25.8%
2002South Korea17.3%
2003Pakistan26.1%
2004Pakistan25.4%
2005Pakistan30.1%
2006Pakistan28.9%
2007Pakistan22.8%
2008Pakistan22.5%
2009United States19.2%
2010United States18.2%
2011Pakistan20.1%
2012United Arab Emirates23.7%
2013Iran22.9%
2014Iran27.2%
2015Iran27.3%
2016Iran26.7%
2017Iran23%
2018Iran25.5%
2019Iran18.6%
2020Iran20.3%
2021Iran25.1%
2022Iran22%
2023United Arab Emirates27.9%
2024China27%

Its suppliers

  1. China$1.5 billion · 27%
  2. Pakistan$1.5 billion · 26.4%
  3. Uzbekistan$922 million · 16.1%
  4. Kazakhstan$528 million · 9.2%
  5. India$334 million · 5.8%
  6. Malaysia$229 million · 4%
  7. Turkey$211 million · 3.7%
  8. Germany$71 million · 1.2%
  9. Belgium$51 million · 0.89%
  10. Kyrgyzstan$50 million · 0.88%

Some of these goods may have been produced in another country: countries record origin in different ways.

Products with a dominant supplier

Of the 287 products Afghanistan buys for more than $1 million in 2024, these are the highest-value ones with a dominant supplier.

ProductSupplierShareSecondValue
Wheat flourUzbekistan50.2%Kazakhstan · 49.5%$640 million
RicePakistan99.3%over 75%South Korea · 0.34%$393 million
Medicines in measured doses or retail packsPakistan58.5%India · 26%$292 million
Cane and beet sugarPakistan94.5%over 75%India · 3.5%$233 million
Palm oilMalaysia99.6%over 75%Pakistan · 0.29%$223 million
Synthetic filament fabricChina98.7%over 75%India · 0.7%$220 million
Refined petroleumUzbekistan78%over 75%Kyrgyzstan · 20.6%$213 million
New tiresChina84.7%over 75%Pakistan · 5.6%$147 million
Dried legumes (beans, lentils, peas)Uzbekistan83.2%over 75%Kazakhstan · 13.1%$138 million
MotorcyclesChina76.5%over 75%Pakistan · 21.8%$110 million
Other synthetic fiber fabricChina75.7%over 75%India · 24.3%$104 million
ElectricityUzbekistan100%over 75%—$91 million
CementPakistan92.6%over 75%Uzbekistan · 7%$87 million
Other food preparationsPakistan60.4%Germany · 12.8%$85 million
Transformers and power suppliesChina96.6%over 75%Turkey · 2.7%$80 million
Other knitted fabricChina99.6%over 75%Turkey · 0.26%$79 million
Vaccines, blood and antiseraBelgium52.7%India · 31.6%$72 million
Nitrogen fertilizersUzbekistan100%over 75%China · 0.05%$62 million
Diodes, transistors and solar cellsChina98.5%over 75%Denmark · 0.79%$62 million
Sunflower, safflower and cottonseed oilUzbekistan56.9%Kazakhstan · 31.8%$61 million
Mixed fertilizersUzbekistan71.1%Kazakhstan · 25.8%$59 million
PotatoesPakistan99.9%over 75%Netherlands · 0.11%$55 million
Liquid pumpsChina93.9%over 75%Turkey · 3.5%$52 million
Cameras and broadcast equipmentChina91.2%over 75%Canada · 3%$47 million
WheatKazakhstan92.8%over 75%Uzbekistan · 7.2%$46 million

and 223 more

A product has a dominant supplier when a single country sells more than 50% of what is bought of it; we flag it separately above 75%.

Some of these goods may have been produced in another country: countries record origin in different ways.

Countries that sell more than 50% of some product; the darker, the higher the value of those products.

Selling: who it relies on

Largest customer: India
41.2%
Concentration (HHI)
3,384

Concentration index (HHI): 3,384 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting sales among 3 customers of the same size

Trend in shares

Pakistan went from 0% to 40.8% of what Afghanistan sells

Share (%)

  • India 41.2%
  • Pakistan 40.8%
  • Uzbekistan 2.8%
  • China 2.6%
  • Turkey 2.1%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearLargest customerShare
1995Belgium20.1%
1996United States18.4%
1997Belgium11.8%
1998India20.4%
1999India22%
2000India22.6%
2001India26.3%
2002India25.7%
2003United States31.6%
2004India29.4%
2005India25.1%
2006Pakistan30.1%
2007Pakistan29.3%
2008India26.5%
2009Nigeria63.1%
2010Pakistan28.8%
2011Pakistan43%
2012Pakistan37.1%
2013Pakistan41.1%
2014Pakistan47.8%
2015Pakistan44.6%
2016Pakistan37.2%
2017India40%
2018Pakistan39.7%
2019United Arab Emirates40.9%
2020United Arab Emirates31.6%
2021Pakistan32.2%
2022Pakistan57.4%
2023Pakistan41.2%
2024India41.2%

42 of the 53 products Afghanistan sells for more than $1 million have a customer buying more than 50% of what Afghanistan sells of that product; in 28, more than 75%. In those products, sales to each one’s dominant customer add up to 74% of what Afghanistan sells.

ProductCustomerShareSecondValue
Raw cottonPakistan99.4%over 75%China · 0.6%$226 million
GrapesIndia51.5%Pakistan · 29.9%$172 million
Avocados, mangoes, pineapples and datesIndia94.5%over 75%United States · 1.7%$167 million
Other nuts (almonds, walnuts)India58.9%China · 26.4%$128 million
Natural gums and resinsIndia99.6%over 75%Saudi Arabia · 0.13%$123 million
Onions and garlicPakistan83.5%over 75%India · 16.4%$110 million
CoalPakistan99.8%over 75%France · 0.15%$89 million
Dried legumes (beans, lentils, peas)Pakistan70.3%India · 28.7%$76 million
Ginger, saffron, turmeric and other spicesIndia56.2%Saudi Arabia · 24.6%$60 million
Apples and pearsIndia90.4%over 75%Pakistan · 9.3%$48 million
Anise, coriander and cumin seedsIndia60.2%Pakistan · 34.9%$48 million
TomatoesPakistan100%over 75%Qatar · 0.01%$43 million
Medicinal and aromatic plantsIndia82.2%over 75%Pakistan · 10.6%$29 million
Other fresh fruit (berries, kiwi)Pakistan59.6%India · 38.5%$29 million
Cucumbers and gherkinsPakistan99.3%over 75%Kyrgyzstan · 0.32%$14 million

and 27 more

Concentration compared

The closest countries in the concentration ranking (HHI, highest first).

RankCountryHHI
62Zimbabwe1,902
63Sierra Leone1,887
64Afghanistan1,838
65Guam1,807
66Papua New Guinea1,801
67Kyrgyzstan1,784

Sources and method

Sources and licenses

Methodology

The data come from CEPII BACI (Etalab 2.0 licence), which reconciles what the exporting and the importing country report, in current USD, FOB. Data up to 2024.

Dependence is the share of a country’s imports (or exports) that each partner accounts for. It does not measure whether a product has a substitute or how much it would cost to change supplier.

The concentration index (HHI) adds up the square of each partner’s share, in percent: it runs from 0 to 10,000. Its equivalent is 10,000 ÷ HHI, the number of partners of the same size that would give that value.

Products are HS4 headings of the 1992 nomenclature (some combine different goods), with a floor of $1 million per product and country.

The EU is the 27 current members in every year; the United Kingdom is outside the EU throughout the series.

Re-exports: countries that act as redistribution hubs carry their notice and the figures are not corrected.