Spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Seyyed Rouhollah Latifi made the remarks on Saturday and put the volume of Iran’s foreign trade in this period at more than 42 million tons.

He also put the proven non-oil export volume, without the inclusion of crude oil, fuel oil, and kerosene as well as without export from luggage trade, at over 30,285,000 tons, valued at $8.713 billion, showing about 40 percent decline as compared to the last year’s corresponding period.

In this period, 11,793,000 tons of products, valued at $10.922 billion, were imported into the country, registering over a 24 percent decrease as compared to the same period of last year, he added.

The Islamic Republic of Iran exported more than 30 million tons of non-oil goods, valued at $8.713 billion, in the first four months of the current year, Latifi highlighted.

Iran’s main export target markets in this period included as follows, China with importing 8,469,000 tons of Iranian products, valued at $2.474 billion, followed by Iraq with importing 6,446,000 tons of products, valued at $1.965 billion, United Arab Emirates with importing 4,625,000 tons of products, valued at $4.216 billion, Afghanistan with importing 2,115,000 tons of products, valued at $713 million, IRICA spox added.

Spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Rouhollah Latifi made the announcement on Sunday, saying that the Rimdan border was reopened by the Pakistani border guards on Saturday afternoon and 14 trucks carrying export goods have crossed this border.

According to the Pakistani side, only 20 trucks carrying foodstuff can cross the Rimdan border on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, he added, saying that health protocols will also be preserved due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The trans-boundary market of the Rimdan which is located 130 km from Chabahar in southeast Iran will resume operation in the next few days to ease trade between Iran and Pakistan, Latifi said.

On April 20, Iran and Pakistan exchanged views on border exchanges, the latest developments on the coronavirus, as well as issues related to border trade and economic relations in meeting between the Consul General of Iran in Quetta Mohammad Rafiei and Chief Minister of Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan.

IRICA and Pakistan Customs have an agreement according to which the data related to the customs cooperation of the two countries will be exchanged electronically.

According to the country’s 6th Five-Year Socioeconomic and Cultural Development Plan, the ministry must reduce the losses of the country’s electricity network to less than 10 percent, he added.

Presently, the ministry has managed to decrease the rate of electricity network’s losses to less than 10 percent, he said, adding, “accordingly, the trend of nationwide electricity network’s losses last year was on a completely downward trajectory and this will continue this year [started March 21, 2020].”

Turning to the current situation of the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, he stated, “the Ministry of Energy has taken measures to prevent power officials from referring to subscribers’ residences for registering power meters consumed.”

He pointed to the export of electricity by the Islamic Republic of Iran to neighboring countries and added, “based on the commitments made in this regard, Iran’s export of electricity will continue on a regular basis this year.”