Afghan trade to rebound sharply once election deadlock over, officials say

Men work at a pot factory in Jalalabad province May 21, 2014. REUTERS/Parwiz

KABUL (Reuters) - Uncertainty over Afghanistan's bitterly contested presidential election has helped drive a 20 percent drop in exports this year but Afghan trade officials say they expect revenue to rebound once a deadlock between rivals is resolved.

"As soon as the final results of the elections are announced there will be a 30 to 40 percent increase in exports and imports and we are sure about that," the director of Afghanistan's Industry and Export Promotion Department, Mir Zaman Popal said.