Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 27
By Fatih Karimov– Trend:
More than 135,000 tons of non-oil goods, worth $73 million, were exported through customs in Iran’s northwestern city of Astara in the first half of current Iranian fiscal year (March 20-Sept. 22), 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 said, IRNA news agency reported Sept. 27.
The official named Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia as the main destinations for the exported items.
Omidi further said Iran imported about 122,000 tons of goods, worth $42 million, via Astara customs during the six-month period.
Also 44,000 tons of goods, worth $49 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 90 percent in terms of volume and a fall by 21 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.
About 141,000 tons of goods (a 17 percent increase year-on-year), worth $638 million (a 42 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, and agricultural products were transited to Ukraine, Georgia, Russia and Azerbaijan, he added.
The Islamic Republic also exported 71 tons of goods, including agricultural and food products as well as plastic materials, worth $299,000 to Azerbaijan via the suitcase trade from Astara customs during the first six months of current Iranian fiscal year, Omidi said.
More than 393,160 people crossed the border checkpoint in Astara during the period, the official said, adding that the passenger traffic into Iran from Azerbaijan via Astara registered an increase by 9 percent, while the passenger flow into Azerbaijan increased by 8 percent.
Astara is Iran’s third border checkpoint in terms of passenger traffic.
