Severe Recession Hits Vehicle Market in Spin Boldak Amid Border Closure and Regional Conflicts
The trade of vehicles and spare parts in the Spin Boldak market of Kandahar province has faced an unprecedented recession following the closure of the border with Pakistan and the escalation of regional conflicts. Traders report that the suspension of main supply routes has nearly halted the import of vehicle parts, causing significant losses to thousands working in this market.
Agence France-Presse reported that Spin Boldak, one of Afghanistan’s key centers for importing vehicle parts, suffered the initial blow after the border with Pakistan was closed in October last year. Subsequently, traders were forced to import their goods via a longer route through the United Arab Emirates, a path that dramatically increased transportation costs.
Abdul Baqi Bina, Deputy of the Kandahar Chamber of Commerce and Investment, stated that after the Pakistan border closure, traders continued operations through Iran’s Bandar Abbas port. However, with the onset of the Middle East war and disruptions in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the supply chain faced new challenges. According to him, this situation has severely harmed the vehicle parts trade.
Meanwhile, the World Bank had previously warned that Afghanistan’s economy is highly vulnerable to external shocks, and the widening gap between imports and exports places additional pressure on domestic markets. In this context, the lack of a clear economic plan from the Taliban administration to manage commercial crises has heightened concerns among private sector stakeholders.
