TEHRAN (Iran News) –A member of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mine and Agriculture (ICCIMA) says recent developments and tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran has not created any hurdle in trade with Azerbaijan yet.
Speaking to ILNA, Behrouz Pour Soleiman who is also deputy head of Ardebil Chamber of Commerce said that political tensions between Tehran and Baku has not disrupted the trade ties of the two countries, adding that Azerbaijan Government has not created any ban or hurdle yet and the trade between the two countries continue like the past and currently there is no hurdle for exchange of goods at their border checkpoints.
He then pointed to the rise in the trade volume of both countries and said that the trade volume with Azerbaijan was around $90m two years ago that the figure increased by 20% last year and reached $110m, adding that the trade in terms of weight saw decrease but it saw rise in terms of value because of the rise in the price of dollar.
When asked what the measures of the chamber for rise in the trade volume with Azerbaijan, Pour Soleimani said that devaluation of national currency rial in the country made exports of many goods justifiable but last year officials had no facilities for exports.
He expressed hope that Ardabil-Mianeh railway would be inaugurated by the yearend, adding that if this corridor is operationalized in the next two years, undoubtedly the volume of exports to Azerbaijan and other countries and officials are determined this railway to be launched.
He touched upon maintaining Azerbaijan market and its importance on Iran’s economy and said that Azerbaijan is considered as a suitable market for Iranian goods and at the same time it is a good destination for transit of Iranian goods to the Caucasus countries and Russia and it means major exporters of Azerbaijan are successful Russian readers.
He further said that considerable volume of goods which are bought from Iran are transited via Azerbaijan to the Caucasus an Russia and in other words, Azerbaijan is a bridge for linking Iran to the Caucasus states that maintain this market is very important for Iran.
Pour Soleimani also criticized the officials and said that there has been no support to the border provinces. He also criticized domestic obstructive regulations as the main factor in creating restriction for traders in trade with other states. He said that with the existing regulations one cannot be hopeful for promoting exports and it seems it is the domestic regulations and not Azerbaijan who plays a great role in restricting exports.
Recently, the spokesman of Trade Development Committee of the Iranian House of Industry, Mining and Trade said that the value of Iran’s non-oil export to its neighbors rose 19 percent in the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20).
Ruhollah Latifi said that 75.184 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $30.537 billion were exported to the neighboring countries in the previous year.
