Kurdistan Region Sanandaj’s best market

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – Officials of Sanandaj (Sina) Province in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhalat) said on Sunday that the Kurdistan Region will become an economic priority for imports and exports.

Zahed Salehi, head of Sina trading chamber, discussed potential business exchanges after the economic sanctions on Iran were relieved in early January.

“No obstacles have remained in the way of exchanging goods through Sina’s border gates, we should immediately begin importing our products into the Kurdistan Region,” Salehi said during a meeting.

Due to the severe economic sanctions imposed on Iran, merchants in the country were reportedly unhappy with losing their positions to competitors in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

“Since the costs of transporting goods are lower in comparison with other neighboring countries, our businessmen welcome it,” Salehi stated.

Mehyadin Mahmudian, the head of Sina Exporters Syndicate, believes that the Kurdistan Region is the best market for Sina Province.

During the past nine months, USD $333 million worth of goods has been transported through Sina Province. Most of these goods have been shipped to the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq.

Furthermore, the recent economic crisis across Iraq has prompted the officials in Sina to look for cheaper products that meet the country's quality standards.

The head of Sulaimani trading chamber Sirwan Mohammad told K24, ”The recent tensions in northern Kurdistan (Turkey) have led to an increase in transportation expenses from the country, so the direction of [the Kurdistan Region] trading has changed from the Turkish borders to the ones of Iran.”

Iran is the second largest provider of goods to the Kurdistan Region after Turkey. Its exports consist of various food products, electronic appliances and devices, and construction materials.

The United States and European nations partly removed the economic sanctions on Iran when international inspectors declared that the country had fulfilled promises of halting large sections of its nuclear program.

Reporting by Gulala Khaled: Jivar Rasouli from Erbil contributed to this report: Editing by Karzan Sulaivany