The IRICA spokesman, Rouhollah Latifi, added this took place on the first day following the reopening of the common border between the two countries on Thursday, Mehr News Agency reported.

He said the trucks entered Turkey through the three borders of Bazargan, Serow, and Razi, all located in northwestern Iran.

Latifi noted that in addition, 35 Turkish trucks, carrying goods, entered the Iranian territory on the same day.

A total number of 54 railroad cars loaded with Iranian products entered Turkey through Razi customs on this day, he said, adding, “Turkey also sent 26 freight cars carrying goods and commodities to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

In the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, Turkey closed its land border to Iranian trucks as of February 22. The border closure continued for over three months.

French medical cargo

In addition, Director General of Bazargan Customs Administration Sadeq Namdar said on Friday that the first medical cargo from France arrived in Iran after the reopening of Bazargan border, according to Mehr News Agency.

He added the consignment comprises 7,300 kilograms of antiserum valued at €618,981, which is on its way to Tehran.

“Previously, due to the closure of Bazargan border, 19 medical cargos had entered the country through the Sarisu market in proximity to the border.”

Bazargan border is the only international border between Iran and Turkey which is open round the clock.

In an interview with IRNA on Sunday, Sadeq Namdar, the head of the Bazargan Customs Office, put the weight of the exported goods during the said period at 26,120 tons, listing the main items like agricultural products, petrochemicals, and metal products.

The official noted that in the same period last year, Iran exported goods valued at $215 million through the Bazargan border.

He added the whole world is facing a crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak, saying, “If Bazargan border offers round-the-clock services, we will see a boom in exports.”

Bazargan Customs Office is one of the three terminals through which Iran and Turkey conduct trade. It was active 24 hours a day before the coronavirus outbreak.

Trade between Iran and Turkey exceeded $645 million from January to March, according to figures by Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) published on Thursday.

According to the statistics, Iran’s exports to Turkey totaled $270 million over the period, showing a slight increase compared to the last quarter of 2019, but significantly down from figures seen during the first three months of the same year.

Iran had maintained a trade surplus of over 1$ billion with Turkey at the beginning of 2019, mainly because of its growing exports of oil byproducts.

However, the TCCIMA survey said that Iranian petchem exports to Turkey declined by a staggering figure of 99 percent over the past year, causing Iran’s balance trade with Turkey to slide into the negative territory.

The trade deficit narrowed from $250 million in early 2019 to $117 million in the first quarter this year, said the report.

It said Iran’s total imports from Turkey amounted to $376 million over the first quarter, indicating a decline of 35 percent compared to the similar period last year.

The reduction was mainly blamed on fewer shipments of tobacco, plastic products, and cardboard from Turkey into Iran.