Importing $600,000 worth of sand from other countries instead of Pakistan: What does the 'increasing construction activity' in Afghanistan indicate?

With the increase in construction and industrial activities in Afghanistan, a rise has also been observed in the use and import of sand.

According to the Ministry of Finance of the Taliban government, four years ago imports of silica sand (industrial sand) were only seven tons, but by 2025 they had increased to 3,500 tons.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry also stated that in the first eight months of the current solar year, sand worth more than $600,000 was imported into Afghanistan.

Sand is an important component of Afghanistan’s construction industry, development, and reconstruction. Several Afghan traders and construction companies say that its sales have now increased.

They believe the main reason for this rise in sales is the growth in construction and residential projects.

Officials from the Ministry of Finance say that due to the expansion of industrial and construction activities in Afghanistan, imports of silica sand from Iran and China have also been steadily increasing.

Before relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan deteriorated, a large portion of this sand was imported from Pakistan.

Silica sand is also used in the production of products such as glass, soap, and tiles.

How is sand extracted in Afghanistan?

Baredad Sediqi, head of Etemad Sediqi Construction Company in Kandahar, said that they use three types of sand in construction, two of which occur naturally.

He said that in the past, people used to collect sand themselves from riverbanks or other locations according to their needs. However, now companies like his purchase it from contractors, paying 1,200 Afghanis for a small truckload and 4,500 Afghanis for a large truckload.

Most companies that extract this sand on a large scale are registered with the government and pay taxes.

Murtaza Balkhi, head of a construction company in Balkh that processes natural sand, said they obtain sand from two sources: near rivers and from private lands.

He explained that in Afghanistan, every company holds a work permit from the Ministry of Commerce. After that, it signs a contract with the Ministry of Mines. The company that obtains the contract extracts sand from a specific area and pays the government 30 Afghanis per cubic meter.

According to him, companies that extract and use this sand are registered with the government and have contracts with the Ministry of Mines and Industries.

However, the Taliban government’s Ministry of Mines has not disclosed how many companies are operating in this sector or how much revenue the government earns from them.

Although Afghanistan has abundant sand resources, it still imports sand from other countries to meet its needs.

Abdul Salam Jawad, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said that Afghanistan both exports and imports sand.

According to him, in the first eight months of the current solar year, sand and gravel worth more than $600,000 were imported into Afghanistan from regional countries.

Sand smuggling around the world

Sand is considered a valuable commodity worldwide, and in addition to formal trade, sand worth billions of dollars is smuggled each year in different parts of the world.

Smuggling groups involved in this illegal trade use intimidation, bribery, and violence.

Sand has played an important role in building the modern world; it is found in concrete, asphalt, glass, and silicon. It is also present in places you might never expect.

Vince Beiser, author of The World in a Grain, says, “We use sand in decorative items and especially in wine. We also use sand in paint and in making stretchable or flexible materials.”

Approximately 50 billion tons of sand and gravel are used every year. This is enough to cover the entire country of Argentina with a layer one centimeter thick.

Ninety percent of extracted sand is used in the construction industry. China and India are the largest consumers of sand.

However, not all sand in the world can be used for construction. Desert sand is generally not suitable for building purposes, while sand obtained from rivers is best for concrete, making it strong and durable.

Environmental activist Sameera Abdulali, director of the Awaaz Foundation in Mumbai, says, “After water, sand is the second most extracted resource in the world, and access to it is now becoming more limited.”

The global sand market is valued at $165 billion, but it is nearly impossible to know how much of it is obtained illegally.

Experts say that in some countries extracting sand without permission is illegal, but no organization monitors sand globally, and therefore no comprehensive global data exists.

Louise Shelley, director of the Center for the Study of Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption, says that sand can be sent to any construction site, and no one knows where it comes from — and no one even asks.

The ease of extraction, high demand for concrete, and the legal status of buying and selling sand have allowed illegal mining to continue with little opposition. At the local level, exploitation often begins, and sand mafias are frequently involved.