Baku, Azerbaijan, July 1
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
More than 80,000 tons of non-oil goods, worth $43 million, were exported through customs in Iran’s north-western city of Astara in the first three months of current Iranian fiscal year (March 20-June 21), the head of Astara Customs Administration, Rasoul Omidi said.
Agricultural and food products, cement, plaster, chemicals, detergents, handicrafts, textile, shoes, bags, carpet, construction materials, mineral products, metals and plastic products were the main exported items, Omidi said, IRNA news agency reported July 1.
The official named Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia as the main destinations for the exported items.
Omidi further said Iran also imported about 80,000 tons of goods, worth $22 million, via Astara customs during the 3-month period.
Chemicals, wood, metal products, machinery and electrical appliances were the main imported goods, he said, adding the mentioned goods were imported from Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
About 65,000 tons of goods(18 percent increase year-on-year), worth $277 million(40 percent increase), were also transited via Astara to foreign countries during the period, added Omidi.
The goods including electrical appliances, cars, furniture, machinery, medical equipment, construction materials, textile products, chemicals and agricultural products were transited to Ukraine, Georgia, Russia and Azerbaijan, he added.
Also 18,000 tons of goods, worth $120 million, including petroleum products, cotton, synthetic fibers, iron ingots and iron sheets, copper, fiberglass and wood were transited inside the Islamic Republic via Astara, the official said, adding the figures indicate an increase by 105 percent in terms of volume and an increase by 317 percent in terms of value year-on-year.
The goods were transited from Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Georgia and Russia to Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
The Islamic Republic also exported 30 tons of goods including agricultural and food products as well as plastic materials, worth $75,000 to Azerbaijan via the suitcase trade from Astara custom checkpoint during the first three months of current Iranian fiscal year, Omidi said.
Over 188,350 people have crossed the border checkpoint of Astara during the period, the official said, adding that the passenger traffic into Iran from Azerbaijan via Astara registered an increase by 10 percent, meanwhile the passenger flow into Azerbaijan increased by 2 percent.