The United States will provide Afghan businessmen with special privileges in the near future which will help them to send their goods to the U.S free of taxes, the deputy commerce minister Mohammad Qorban said in a meeting on Tuesday.

He also said Afghanistan’s trade and transit affairs is faced with many challenges and that Pakistan has sometimes violated the trade agreement between the two countries.

“The U.S government is providing Afghanistan preferential trade measures treatment under the GSP where the Afghan traders could benefit to export to U.S market with zero taxes,” Haqjo said.

Meanwhile, the Afghan and American officials said business relations must increase between the two countries.

Michael J. Delaney, Chairman of the Trade Policy Staff Committee and Special Trade Representative for Post-Conflict Countries, said it will take time for Afghanistan’s trade to meet international norms but Washington will help Kabul in this respect.

“The poverty rate is way too high; we need to get it down. But we do think that we are making progress and again I want to know here that my presence here today and the presence of my delegation shows that my government is abiding its commitment to stand by Afghanistan and continue to work out this problem,” he said.

Afghanistan’s trade with the United States was $947 million USD last year including $913 million USD in exports and $34 million USD in imports.