The head of a provincial commerce department in Iran says the Islamic Republic's share in Afghanistan's $6 billion of annual import has reached $1.2 billion, PRESS TV reported.
Speaking at the meeting of a special working group on trade and tourism on Thursday, head of South Khorasan Commercial Organization, Nader Mirshekar, emphasized on the need to further boost exports to Afghanistan at a time when Iran's share in the neighboring country's annual import has increased, IRNA reported.
Mirshekar placed a high premium on the significant role that South Khorasan province can play in export of goods to Afghanistan, which shares 450 kilometers of common border with the Iranian province.
"Mahiroud border market with an area of about 10 hectares has been allocated mainly for expansion of bilateral trade ties [with Afghanistan], and merchants can make the most of the opportunity in order to make profit," the Iranian official added.
Earlier this month, Director of Marketing and Business Relations for Iran's Trade Promotion Organization Reza Tofiqhi said that Iran's exports to Afghanistan showed a 20 percent increase in the past Iranian calendar year compared to the previous year.
He had stated that the country's trade volume of exports to Afghanistan is expected to reach $2 billion in the current Iranian calendar year.
Afghans are more inclined to buy commodities made in Iran since they measure up to standards more than similar products made in other regional countries such as China and Pakistan, reports say.
On March 6, Director of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization Hamid Safdel said the Islamic Republic's non-oil exports to Afghanistan exceeded $1.3 billion in the previous Iranian year, which ended March 20.
The official added that Iranian investors can significantly contribute to the level of trade by investing in Afghanistan's natural resources and petrochemicals, and by exporting engineering and technical services.
In February, Afghan Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal said that the two countries agreed to expand business, trade, and the transit of goods over their common border, after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to improve cross-border trade.