Iran’s trade with Afghanistan (non-oil exports plus imports) stood at 3,405 tons worth $1.66 billion in the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20), according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).
The IRICA figures suggest that the volume of trade between the two neighbors registered a 10% fall in terms of value compared with $1.85 billion in the year before.
Iran registered a trade surplus of $1.6 billion with the neighboring country during the period, IRIB News reported.
The main exported goods include light oils and products, except gasoline, oil and other products obtained from the distillation of coal tar at high temperature, other unspecified products containing 70% or more by weight of petroleum or bituminous mineral oils, liquefied natural gas, flooring, fresh apple, tomatoes, mineral oil and gasoline.
The above-mentioned goods accounted for 36% of the weight and 39% of the value of the total exports to Afghanistan during the year.
The report noted that most of the goods exported to Afghanistan from Iran are petroleum-based and petrochemical-based products.
Processed lead, sunflower seeds, plants and herbs used in perfumery and pharmaceuticals were the top imported products from Afghanistan during the period, accounting for 39% of the total import’s value.
Other imported goods include sesame seeds, mung beans, pinto beans, thread, pepper, cotton and fennel seeds.
Iran and Afghanistan have 815 kilometers of common border.
Afghanistan has always been one of Iran's most important neighbors due to its geographical location and diplomatic relations between the two sides. Therefore, provinces that have a common border with this country play a key role in bilateral trade. These provinces include Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan and Sistan-Baluchestan.