According to the International Iranian Stone Exhibition, West Azerbaijan is one of the border provinces of the country, one of the most important capacities of which is international trade, especially with neighboring countries such as Turkey, Iraq and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Over the past many years, this province has been a place and transit point for the transit, export and import of various items in the country, which is evidenced by the traffic of thousands of trucks and trucks on the roads of this province.

In recent years, we have witnessed a significant boom in the export of various items of production within the province of West Azerbaijan, and with the long vision of the government of prudence and hope, the boom of exports in this province increased day by day, and even the amount of exports last year despite a The month of conflict with the outbreak of Covid 19 disease reached an unprecedented figure of 1 billion and 850 million dollars.

This year, due to the outbreak of Covid 19 disease, many experts expressed disappointment with the realization of exports such as last year and of course in 1397 from West Azerbaijan and considered a reduction in exports possible, but this was due to the efforts of various export officials and private sector managers. Traders reversed, and in the first nine months of this year, exports reached nearly $ 1.7 billion, which was significant.

38% increase in the value of exports from West Azerbaijan

The Deputy Minister of Commerce of the West Azerbaijan Industry, Mining and Trade Organization said: "In the first nine months of this year, 1.6 billion dollars worth of goods were exported from this province, which is 38% more than the same period last year."

Mohammad Dehghan added: "During this period, 804 thousand tons of goods were exported from customs and border markets of West Azerbaijan, in this regard, we have witnessed a 10% decrease in exports compared to the same period last year."

He added: Major goods exported from this province to foreign countries during this year, including carpets, flooring, home appliances, tomato paste, watermelon, apple juice, fresh apple tree, dates, fresh grapes, cement, granite, chlorine, products It has been agriculture and furniture.

The Deputy Minister of Commerce of the Industry, Mining and Trade Organization of West Azerbaijan said: Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Russia, Romania, Germany and Syria are the top 10 export destinations from West Azerbaijan.

Dehghan expressed hope that due to the improvement of the border situation regarding the outbreak of Covid 19 disease, the amount of exports from the province will increase in the last quarter of the year.

This statistic came at a time when passenger traffic on the borders of West Azerbaijan decreased by 94% and even about three months of the year, the largest commercial border of the province, the Bazargan border, was closed due to the outbreak of the corona.

The border, which reopened in mid-June this year in consultation with Iranian and Turkish trade officials, did not flourish in the past due to the outbreak of Covid 19, but gradually moved into the direction of expanding exports and international trade.

31% increase in the value of exports from Bazargan Customs

The Director General of Bazargan Customs said: "Since the reactivation of Customs (mid-June this year) until the end of December this year, the rial value of goods exported from this official border has increased by 31%."

Mojtaba Bazgir stated: "Since the reopening of this border in mid-June this year, 79,639 tons of goods have been exported through this border, which in terms of weight is still a 39% decrease compared to the same period last year."

He added that the main goods exported through this border included petrochemical products, plant and agricultural products, stones and products, ceramic and glass objects, scrap and scrap of iron and steel, and textile products.

Director General of Bazargan Customs, stating that the export of other customs through this border has grown by 34% in terms of dollars, added: 591,042 tons of goods worth 3 billion 555 million and 368 thousand dollars have been exported through this customs.

The main export goods of other customs are mechanical tools and their parts, electrical machines and devices, products of iron or steel cast iron, plastics, paint and ink extracts, land vehicles, textiles, embroidery and crochet products, synthetic fibers or He mentioned non-solid synthetics, aluminum and rubber, and stated: 11,350 declarations have been issued in this regard, which has decreased by 51%.

Of course, this growing export trend was not limited to the Bazargan border in West Azerbaijan, and the Razi Khoy border, which connects the province to the largest province in eastern Turkey called Van, is also subject to this increase in exports despite the outbreak of Covid disease. Was.

164% growth of Khoy customs exports at the Turkish border

The head of Khoy customs said: from the beginning of this year to the end of 9 months, 42 million and 450 thousand dollars of goods have been exported from this city, which is 164% more than the same period last year.

Hojjat Chavoshi added: During this period, 31,335 tons of goods were exported from Khoy customs, which is an increase of 64% compared to last year in this sector.

Regarding the number of export declarations submitted to Khoy Customs this year, he said: This year, 454 declarations have been issued in this sector, which is an increase of seven percent compared to the same period last year.

The head of Khoy customs added: the main goods exported from this customs abroad included isogum, pumpkin seeds and biscuits.

Chavoshi continued: Iraq, Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan are among the destination countries for exports this year from Khoy.

He expressed hope that due to the improvement of the border situation regarding the outbreak of Covid 19 disease, the amount of exports from Khoy will increase in the last quarter of the year.

Rail exports from Iran to Turkey increased by 38%

The head of the General Directorate of Railways of Azerbaijan said: "The amount of rail exports from Iran to Turkey during the first 9 months of this year has grown by 38%, which is done only from the Razi railway border."

Mohammad Reza Ghorbani added: "While last year 80,897 tons of goods were exported to Turkey by rail, this year this figure has reached about 111,500 tons, which is unprecedented."

The situation of Sarv, Poldasht and Tamarchin borders of Piranshahr is similar to these two borders.

Expectations for an unprecedented $ 2 billion in exports from West Azerbaijan this year have risen over the past nine months, given a very good figure, and the corona outbreak is expected to subside in both Iran and Turkey as the red situation subsides. And in Iraq and other countries in Iran's export areas, the amount of exports next year will be the same as this year.

This is not far from reach due to the existence of 9 customs, five border terminals and benefiting from 23% of the country's border terminals in this province, and of course the targeting of high-ranking provincial officials regarding investment in border infrastructure is another factor in growth. The province's exports will be in the post-Corona era.

 West Azerbaijan shares a 967-kilometer border with the three countries of Iraq, Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan through the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and billions of dollars of goods are exported and imported through these borders annually.

* IRNA