TEHRAN, Iran,July 21
Trend:
Iran's export to Azerbaijan is ongoing despite the COVID-19 spread, member of Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Chamber of Commerce Behrouz Poursoleiman told Trend.
"Fortunately, Iran's trade relations with Azerbaijan has never stopped, despite coronavirus," he said.
"All Iranian goods are being unloaded at the border customs and loaded onto Azerbaijani trucks. This created problems but the trade has not stopped," he said.
"Iranian trucks transit export goods to Central Asian countries via Azerbaijan, these trucks are escorted by Azerbaijani vehicles, so the goods stay sealed until reaching the destination country," he said.
"Iran has previously exported goods to Georgia as well but now Georgia has banned transporting Iranian goods and travelers," said Poursoleiman.
"Azerbaijan has taken the coronavirus issue very seriously but at least the trade with Iran has not been cut," he added.
"Iran's export volume has been the same in the current Iranian year (started March 20,2020) compared to last the Iranian year (started March 21,2019), but the value of export has increased due to the rise in value of goods set by customs which does not mean the increase in export," he said.
"Although the foreign currency rate has increased significantly. the export has not increased, which is due to domestic bureaucracy, including the policy of returning export's foreign currency revenues," he added.
"Iran Chamber of Commerce has suggested that big semi-public export companies that export petrochemicals and oil products should return foreign currency revenue but exporters that export under $1 million can be exempted. This policy has failed and if it is not reviewed would cause many problems," he said.
"The export cost has increased a little although transit via Azerbaijan, but but the export is not very fluid," he said referring to increase of costs during the coronavirus, which include escort of Iranian trucks to third country and loading goods at Azerbaijan customs.