Baku, Azerbaijan, April 29
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
Some 54,000 tons of non-oil products worth $28 million were exported from the customs of Astara County (located in Iran’s northern Gilan Province) during the 1st month of the current Iranian year (started March 21, 2019), Rasoul Omidi, head of Astara Customs Administration, told IRNA, Trend reports.
According to Omidi, agriculture, chemicals, mining, metal, and food products, as well as other products such as rubber, cement, gypsum, detergents, fabrics, handicraft products, clothing, bags and shoes were exported to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia.
Omidi added that 15,000 tons of goods worth $13 million were imported through these customs last month.
“Last month, 11,000 tons of products worth $2 million entered Astara Customs for the transit wood materials, oil products, cotton, artificial fibers, iron ingots, copper, and glass powder to Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia and (via Ukraine) to Turkey, Iraq and the UAE,” he said.
According to Omidi, 10,000 tons of products worth $25 million, including electrical appliances, cars, furniture, factory equipment, healthcare equipment, construction materials, glass containers, clothing, chemicals and agricultural products were transited through Astara customs to Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia and Ukraine.
Omidi said that food products, rubber and agricultural products worth $4.7 million were exported through informal trade during the 1st month, mainly to Azerbaijan.
Omidi stated that the monthly revenue of Astara customs is more than 230 billion rials (app. $5.49 million).
"Some 147,111 people crossed Astara customs during the 1st month. Compared to the same period last year, the number of people leaving Iran increased by 68 percent and the number of arrivals to Iran increased by 47 percent," he said.
With a population of 91,000, Astara County is located in the north-west of Iran's Gilan Province, on the border with Azerbaijan.