Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 27
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Iran's Astara Customs total income reached 312.618 billion rials (some $8.7 million based on official rate of 36,000 rials per each USD) during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year(March 20-Dec. 22), which is 8 percent less compared to the same period of the preceding year.
More than 240,000 tons of non-oil goods, worth $128 million, were exported through customs in Iran’s northwestern city of Astara in the first nine months of current Iranian fiscal year, Rasoul Omidi, head of Astara Customs Administration, said.
Agriculture and food products, cement, plaster, chemicals, detergents, handicrafts, textile, shoes, bags, carpet, construction materials, mineral products, metals and plastic products were the main export items, Omidi told reporters.
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia are the main destinations for the exported items, he said.
Omidi further said Iran imported about 182,000 tons of goods, worth $66 million, via Astara customs during the 9-month period.
Also 64,000 tons of goods, worth $108 million, including petroleum products, cotton, synthetic fibers, iron ingots and iron sheets, copper, fiberglass and wood were transited via the Astara checkpoint, the official said, adding the figures indicate an increase by 48 and 11 percent in terms of volume and value, respectively, year on year.
The goods were transited from Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Georgia and Russia to Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
About 215,000 tons of goods (a 18 percent increase year on year), worth $985 million (a 38 percent increase), were also transited via Astara to foreign countries during the period, added Omidi.
Goods including electrical appliances, cars, furniture, machinery, medical equipment, construction materials, textile products, chemicals, glass containers and agricultural products were transited to Ukraine, Georgia, Russia and Azerbaijan, he added.
The Islamic Republic also exported 97 tons of goods, including agricultural and food products as well as plastic materials, worth $280,000 to Azerbaijan via the suitcase trade from Astara customs during the first nine months of current Iranian fiscal year, Omidi said.
More than 556,852 people crossed the border checkpoint in Astara during the period, the official said.
He added that the passenger traffic into Iran from Azerbaijan and vice versa via Astara registered 3 percent fall in the period.
Astara is Iran’s third border checkpoint in terms of passenger traffic.