Over 24 Tons of Low-Quality Bitumen Sent Back from Herat to Turkmenistan
The Standards and Quality Department under the Taliban administration has announced that a shipment of bitumen weighing 24.53 tons was returned to Turkmenistan through the Turghundi border in Herat province after technical inspections due to poor quality. According to the department, this shipment was not permitted entry into the country’s markets.
In a statement released on Monday, 16 February, the department stated that the shipment was evaluated during the quality control process and was rejected for failing to meet the required standards. The Turghundi border is one of the major trade crossings in western Afghanistan, through which a significant portion of imports from Turkmenistan enters the country.
The Standards and Quality Department emphasized that the inspection process for imported goods at all border points across the country continues in a “transparent, organized, and decisive” manner, and substandard and non-compliant goods will not be allowed entry. However, the department did not provide further details about the types of tests conducted, the specific technical criteria, or the possible financial consequences for the importer—a concern frequently raised by some traders.
The department also urged traders and importers to adhere to the defined domestic standards before importing goods and to cooperate in ensuring a healthy market. Guaranteeing the quality of construction materials, especially bitumen used extensively in road construction projects, is considered a critical economic and infrastructural issue for the country.
