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Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · AF

India Afghanistan

India exported USD 333.5 mn to Afghanistan in 2024, led by HS 30, and imported USD 664.9 mn. Here are the documents, the gateways and how SSL moves your cargo on the India side.

  • AgreementIndia-Afghanistan PTA
  • CurrencyAFN ؋
  • Time−1h00 vs IST
  • CapitalKabul
  • AccessLandlocked
Get a quote for Afghanistan How exporting works
  • Road
  • Air
  1. Road leg in India to the gateway, SSL fleet · Road
  2. Air leg to Afghanistan · Air

Road in India, then sea or air onward

Exports from India
USD 333.5 mn
Imports into India
USD 664.9 mn
Trade partner rank
#82

Happiness, on this lane, is the buyer in Kabul whose goods arrive on the promised day, and the shipper in India who never has to chase.

At a glance

Region
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & PakistanSouthern Asia
Income group
Low incomeWorld Bank
Currency
AFNAfghan afghani
Languages
Dari, Pashto, Turkmen
Capital
Kabul
Time
−1h00 vs ISTUTC+04:30
Access
Landlocked
Trade partner rank
#820.088% of India's trade

Trade agreements: Preferential access under: India-Afghanistan PTA. Sources: World Bank country classification; ISO 4217 and languages via mledoze/countries; IANA time zones; agreements per India Briefing FTA tracker and Invest India.

Ship from India to Afghanistan

USD 333.5 mnIndia's exports to Afghanistan, 2024 (FOB)
0.080%of India's exports to the world
USD 998.4 mntwo-way trade, 2024
India's top exports to Afghanistan, 2024
  1. HS 30 Pharmaceutical products USD 100.3 mn30%
  2. HS 87 Vehicles USD 33.3 mn10%
  3. HS 62 Apparel and clothing accessories USD 29.8 mn9%
  4. HS 55 Man-made staple fibres USD 28.9 mn9%
  5. HS 23 Food industries, residues and wastes thereof USD 26.6 mn8%

Gateways in Afghanistan

Seaports: Landlocked: sea cargo moves through a neighbouring country's port.

Airports: Herat, Khwaja Abdullah Ansari International Airport (HEA) · Kabul International Airport (KBL) · Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport (KDH) · Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport (MZR)

OurAirports: large (else medium) airports with scheduled service and an IATA code. Direct service from India NOT verified.

Transit time

No public port-to-port benchmark is published here yet. We do not guess one: our desk gives you the current sailing or flight time with the quote.

Source: UN Comtrade, 2024. India as reporter; exports FOB, imports CIF; general trade, all modes; HS 2022 (H6) chapters. Retrieved 29 Sep 2026.

Import from Afghanistan to India

USD 664.9 mnIndia's imports from Afghanistan, 2024 (CIF)
67%of the two-way trade is India buying
India's top imports from Afghanistan, 2024
  1. HS 08 Fruit and nuts, edible USD 399.5 mn60%
  2. HS 13 Lac USD 122.6 mn18%
  3. HS 09 Coffee, tea, mate and spices USD 62.9 mn10%
  4. HS 07 Vegetables and certain roots and tubers USD 40.0 mn6%
  5. HS 12 Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits USD 36.5 mn6%

On arrival in India the importer files a bill of entry on ICEGATE; customs assesses basic customs duty, the social welfare surcharge and IGST on the assessable value. To pay the lower rate under India-Afghanistan PTA, the importer must hold origin proof and answer CAROTAR 2020 origin checks. Read the import guide →

How SSL moves it

Road in India, then sea or air onward

India leg: by road to the Indian gateway

SSL's fleet moves your cargo by road to and from India's ports and airports.

International leg. The air leg, or the sea leg through a neighbouring country's port, is arranged by our desk, and our desk arranges customs clearance.

Ask our desk for a quote Email the desk

Outside India? Email (corporatesales@sslpl.in) is the easiest way for our desk to reply across time zones. WhatsApp +91 75062 45557 works too.

Documents

General guidance: verify every shipment with your customs broker and the current DGFT and CBIC notifications.

IEC
An Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT is needed for any commercial shipment to or from Afghanistan. Guide →
HS code
Classify every line under the HS nomenclature; India's largest export chapter to Afghanistan in 2024 was HS 30. The 8-digit ITC(HS) code goes on the shipping bill. Guide →
Incoterms
Afghanistan is landlocked, so the multimodal terms (FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP) fit better than FOB or CIF, which are for sea legs only. Guide →
Certificate of origin
Preferential CoO available under: India-Afghanistan PTA Guide →

Questions about shipping between India and Afghanistan

Does India have a free trade agreement with Afghanistan?
Yes. Goods can qualify for preferential duty under India-Afghanistan PTA, provided they meet the rules of origin and carry a preferential certificate of origin. Source: India Briefing FTA tracker / Invest India, 2026.
What does India export to Afghanistan?
India exported USD 333.5 mn of goods to Afghanistan in 2024. The largest chapters were HS 30 pharmaceutical products (USD 100.3 mn), HS 87 vehicles (USD 33.3 mn), HS 62 apparel and clothing accessories (USD 29.8 mn). That is 0.080% of India's exports to the world. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, exports FOB.
What does India import from Afghanistan?
India imported USD 664.9 mn from Afghanistan in 2024, mainly HS 08 fruit and nuts, edible (USD 399.5 mn), HS 13 lac (USD 122.6 mn), HS 09 coffee, tea, mate and spices (USD 62.9 mn). To claim a lower agreement rate on these goods, the importer needs origin proof under CAROTAR 2020. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, imports CIF.
How big is India-Afghanistan trade?
Two-way goods trade between India and Afghanistan was USD 998.4 mn in 2024, 0.088% of India's total, which ranks Afghanistan number 82 among India's trading partners. India imports more than it exports on this lane. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024.
How long does shipping from India to Afghanistan take?
No public port-to-port benchmark for India to Afghanistan is published on this page yet. Our desk confirms the current sailing or flight time for your cargo when it quotes. Source: SSL global dataset, 29 Sep 2026.
What certificate of origin do I need to export to Afghanistan?
A preferential certificate of origin under India-Afghanistan PTA lets the buyer in Afghanistan claim the lower duty; both kinds are issued through the DGFT e-CoO platform (coo.dgft.gov.in). Check the buyer's letter of credit or import rules for the exact form. Source: DGFT, 2026.
What is the time difference between India and Afghanistan?
Kabul runs at UTC+04:30 in 2026, which is −1h00 vs IST. Plan calls and cut-offs with our desk in IST; we reply by email across time zones. Source: IANA time-zone database, 2026.
Does Safe & Secure Logistics clear customs for Afghanistan shipments?
Yes. Our desk arranges clearance for your shipment, or works with your own broker, while SSL's fleet runs the road leg in India. Our desk shares the operator's licence and documents for your shipment on request. Source: SSL site facts, 29 Sep 2026.

Keep exploring

Data: UN Comtrade 2024 · retrieved 29 Sep 2026. Company figures appear only where sourced from SSL's own register.

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