BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 21. Iran is keen to increase the number of trucks operating within the framework of the North-South International Transport Corridor (NSTC) in order to enhance transit and cargo transportation with Russia, said Foroud Asgari, head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Trend reports.
In a meeting of the working group of Iranian and Russian customs authorities in Tehran, Asgari emphasized that increasing transit and cargo traffic is crucial and that existing barriers could be overcome in this direction.
He noted that both countries have the necessary loading and unloading capacities and warehouses at their ports, which can be fully utilized.
Asgari also stated that developing customs cooperation between the two countries and solving the problems of their businesspeople are top priorities.
The Iranian customs official said that the Iranian side is ready to speed up customs operations by exchanging electronic data in various fields, including risk management and transit.
Vitaly Pikalov, Head of the Russian Federal Customs Service, also highlighted during the meeting that reducing tariffs and removing customs barriers will facilitate the simplification of trade and contribute to increased trade turnover.
The meeting also addressed several key issues, including increasing the number of trucks under the North-South International Transport Corridor, exchanging trade data between the two countries, electronic sealing of transit trucks, training of Iranian customs officers at Russia's Customs Academy, and the fight against smuggling and customs violations.
To note, during the last Iranian year (from March 20, 2024, through March 20, 2025), non-oil trade turnover between Iran and Russia reached $2.47 billion, with 4.53 million tons of goods traded. During this period, Iran exported goods worth $1.12 billion (2.58 million tons) to Russia and imported goods worth $1.35 billion (1.95 million tons) from Russia.
-------
Follow the author on X: @BaghishovElnur
