Export of goods to Iraq via Mehran amounts to over $640m

Ilam, Nov 10, IRNA – Exports to Iraq from Mehran international border since the start of the current year (March 21) amounted to over $647 million. Khalil Heydari, director general of Ilam Customs told IRNA that the amount shows an increase of 20% in terms of value as compared to the same figure last year. He further remarked that the weight of the export goods amounted to over 1.560 million tons which shows an increase of 9% in terms of weight in comparison with the same period last year. Heydari said the goods mainly included construction materials, plastic containers, metal products, glassware, fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, he added, over 287 tons of goods were imported during the past seven months through Mehran international border. He put the value of the import goods which mainly consisted of plastic wastes and rice at $182.2 thousand. Mehran international border which is the safest and closest transit way for the pilgrims of holy shrines and export of goods to Iraq is located in the western end of Ilam Province. Over 800 trucks loaded with export goods pass the Mehran border into Iraq on daily basis. Last year close to $1 billion worth of commodities were exported to Iraq through Mehran border terminal. Ilam Customs from among 31 customs in the country stands in the seventh place in terms of weight and in 14th place in terms of dollar value of export goods./end