Exports of non-oil goods from Iran's Kurdistan Province increase over 100 percent

Exports of non-oil goods from Iranian Kurdistan's (Rojhilat) western Kurdistan Province have increased by over 100 percent in the past 11 months, a provincial official announced on Saturday.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Exports of non-oil goods from Iranian Kurdistan’s (Rojhilat) western Kurdistan Province have increased by over 100 percent in the past 11 months, a provincial official announced on Saturday.

According to Bakhtiar Rahmanipour, the director-general of Kurdistan Province Customs Office, the export of goods from provincial border checkpoints recorded an increase of 113 percent between March 21, 2017, to Feb. 20, 2018.

“The statistics for the 11-month period have significantly grown compared to the figure for the same time span last year,” Rahmanipour was quoted as saying by Iran’s Fars News Agency.

The director-general was speaking at the 11th session of Iran’s Commission of Planning, Coordination, and Monitor to tackle goods smuggling and foreign exchange held at the Kurdish region’s Provincial Government building.

He noted that the customs offices of Sanandaj, Marivan, and Baneh in Rojhilat said the goods transferred via the Bashmaq border crossing during the 11-month period were valued at approximately $4.5 billion.

“Goods transited via Kurdistan Province in the same period [last year] recorded a growth of 75 and 66 percent in terms of volume and value respectively,” Rahmanipour said.

About 1,500 trucks crossed the Bashmaq and Sayranband borders every day, he added, noting the “total daily transit of products via Bashmaq stands at $13 million.”

“The customs office in the Kurdistan Province is busy and always active in the field of importing and exporting goods,” Rahmanipour concluded.

The types of goods exported from Iran include agricultural, industrial, and hand-made products such as carpets and rugs.