Aspen
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iran exported goods and services worth $800 million to Iraq in a month-long period between April and May, confirmed an Iranian official, despite the strict measures the latter has taken to curb the spread of novel coronavirus, including the closure of several border crossings.
“In the month of Ordibehesht [April 20 to May 20] around 800 million dollars was exported from Iran to Iraq. We expect this figure to go up in the month of Khordad, [May 21 to June 21]" Tasnim News Agency quoted Hamid Hosseini, secretary general of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce on Monday, as saying.
"We predict that it will be more than this in June," he added.
Iraq is the second-largest importer of Iranian products. It follows China, which mostly receives petrochemicals from the Middle Eastern country. Iraqi imports from Iran focus predominantly on agricultural products, engineering services, construction material, and energy, including electricity and natural gas.
Iraq accounted for $9 billion of Iran’s $12.5 billion total exports in 2019.
“Despite the current obstacles including the sanctions and the American pressures, we will try and keep a good figure in terms of exports to this country [Iraq],” said Hosseini.
The devastating economic impact of the coronavirus has dealt a significant blow to trade volume between Iraq and Iran in 2020.
Iran fast became the regional epicenter and one of the world’s worst-hit countries by the pandemic after recording its first case in Qom in February of this year.
As cases of infection began to seep into Iraq – many of which were people who had returned from Iran – Baghdad began restricting travel, shutting its five main border crossings with its eastern neighbor in mid-March. Baghdad has not yet announced any schedule to fully reopen its borders with Iran.
The Kurdistan Region did not follow Baghdad’s lead, however, choosing to keep its three major border crossings with Iran open for trade throughout the pandemic period. Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) authorities only closed the border during a three-day complete shutdown of all movement between April 4 to 6.
Hosseini says he expects all of Iraq’s border crossings with Iran to open within the next “one or two weeks.”
"Currently, the Mehran border is active and the border is open two days a week," he said, referring to a crossing open for trade.
Iran has on multiple occasions in the course of the past four months pressured Iraq to open its crossings with them.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/business/22062020
“In the month of Ordibehesht [April 20 to May 20] around 800 million dollars was exported from Iran to Iraq. We expect this figure to go up in the month of Khordad, [May 21 to June 21]" Tasnim News Agency quoted Hamid Hosseini, secretary general of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce on Monday, as saying.
"We predict that it will be more than this in June," he added.
Iraq is the second-largest importer of Iranian products. It follows China, which mostly receives petrochemicals from the Middle Eastern country. Iraqi imports from Iran focus predominantly on agricultural products, engineering services, construction material, and energy, including electricity and natural gas.
Iraq accounted for $9 billion of Iran’s $12.5 billion total exports in 2019.
“Despite the current obstacles including the sanctions and the American pressures, we will try and keep a good figure in terms of exports to this country [Iraq],” said Hosseini.
The devastating economic impact of the coronavirus has dealt a significant blow to trade volume between Iraq and Iran in 2020.
Iran fast became the regional epicenter and one of the world’s worst-hit countries by the pandemic after recording its first case in Qom in February of this year.
As cases of infection began to seep into Iraq – many of which were people who had returned from Iran – Baghdad began restricting travel, shutting its five main border crossings with its eastern neighbor in mid-March. Baghdad has not yet announced any schedule to fully reopen its borders with Iran.
The Kurdistan Region did not follow Baghdad’s lead, however, choosing to keep its three major border crossings with Iran open for trade throughout the pandemic period. Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) authorities only closed the border during a three-day complete shutdown of all movement between April 4 to 6.
Hosseini says he expects all of Iraq’s border crossings with Iran to open within the next “one or two weeks.”
"Currently, the Mehran border is active and the border is open two days a week," he said, referring to a crossing open for trade.
Iran has on multiple occasions in the course of the past four months pressured Iraq to open its crossings with them.
https://www.rudaw.net/english/business/22062020