Iran’s exports to Iraq are gradually growing compared to initial months of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the Middle East beginning late February, a member of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce says.
Current monthly value of exports shows a 30-percent increase compared to initial months of the current calendar year in Iran when borders to neighboring countries were closed to curb the spread of the pandemic, Seyyed Hamid Hosseini said.
The $500-millon mark reached over July-August was a record this year, he said adding that total exports between March 20 and August 21 had exceeded $2.44 billion.
However, Hosseini said, exports to Iraq had fallen by almost a third when calculated against the monthly average seen in 2019.
“The monthly average (value) of exports to Iraq over the past year was $750 million which is more than the average this year of $500 million,” Hosseini said.
“Every day around 3,000 cargo trucks are transferring Iranian exports goods to Iraq and thus exports to this country is flowing on full capacity,” he told the semi-official Fars news agency.
The map shows main border crossings between Iran and Iraq.
Iran relies on Iraq as a major customer for selling goods and services at a time the country’s normal exports of crude oil have been hampered by American sanctions.
Official figures published on Saturday by Iran’s customs office (IRICA) showed that exports to Iraq in the fifth calendar month of Mordad (July22-August21) had reached $441 million in value terms, making the country only second to China in the list of Iran’s main export destinations over the monthly period.