However, Seyyed Hamid Hosseini said on Sunday that exports to Iraq had fallen by almost a third when calculated against a monthly average seen in 2019, Press TV reported.

“The monthly average (value) of exports to Iraq over the past year was $750 million which is more than the average this year of $500 million,” said Hosseini, who is a senior member of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce.

He further said that current monthly value of exports shows a 30-percent increase compared to initial months of the current calendar year in Iran when borders to neighboring countries were closed to curb the spread of the pandemic.

The $500-millon mark reached over July-August was a record this year, as claimed by the businessman who added that total exports between March 20 and August 21 had exceeded $2.44 billion.

Iran relies on Iraq as a major customer for selling goods and services at a time the country’s normal exports of crude oil have been hampered by American sanctions.

Official figures published on Saturday by Iran’s customs office (IRICA) showed that exports to Iraq in the fifth calendar month of Mordad (July22-August21) had reached $441 million in value terms, making the country only second to China in the list of Iran’s main export destinations over the monthly period.