Bilateral trade with Kazakhstan stood at 477,900 tons worth $170.5 million during the current Iranian year’s first nine months (March 21-Dec. 21, 2021), registering an 11.7% increase in weight but a 17% decline in value year-on-year, according to the head of Iran-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce.
“Iran exported 360,300 tons of goods worth $132.6 million to Kazakhstan during the period to register a 6.7% rise in weight and a 21% fall in value compared with the similar period of last year,” Amir Abedi was also quoted as saying by Mizan Online.
The exported goods mainly included polyethylene ($29.9 million), fruit ($17.1 million), dates ($16.7 million), pistachio ($13.2 million), iron bars and steel products ($5.5 million), carpet and flooring ($4.8 million), paint ($4.4 million) and potatoes ($4.2 million).
Other exported commodities include dairy products, foodstuff, tomato paste, cement and plaster, solid hydroxide, stone and bricks, glass, tea, sugar and sugar cubes, chocolate and pastry, porcelain tableware, tobacco, sheets and blanket, tiles and ceramics, soap and ethylene glycol.
Iran imported 117,600 tons of products worth $37.9 million from its neighbor during the same period to register a 30.7% and 1.3% growth in volume and value respectively, compared with the corresponding period of last year.
According to Abedi, Kazakhstan is the biggest Central Asian country with which Iran has borders along the Caspian Sea.
“This gives Iran an advantage in that there is a relatively large market in its proximity to and from which trade can be carried out via marine routes as well as road transport,” he said.