TEHRAN- Exports through the border markets of Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province rose 241 percent in terms of weight in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, a provincial official announced.

Mobin Ali-Mir, the director of the province’s border markets, said if the border markets’ restrictive laws are removed, meat, rice and other necessary items, even cars, can be imported through the foreign currency earned by the exporters who export commodities via the border markets of the province.

Back in March, Iran and Pakistan held an online meeting to discuss issues related to developing border trade and reached an agreement to establish the two countries’ first joint border market.

“A virtual meeting was held to discuss a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the establishment of joint border markets between Iran and Pakistan, and agreements were reached in this regard,” IRNA quoted Reza Seyed Aqazadeh, an official with Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), as saying at the time.

According to the official, following the preparation of the draft for the mentioned MOU in December 2020, additional negotiations were made for finalizing the memorandum in the online meeting which was held at the level of deputy ministers.

Referring to the 950-kilometer border between Iran and Pakistan, as well as the two countries' interest in developing trade, Seyed Aqazadeh noted: "Border markets have so far been created unilaterally by Iran or Pakistan, and a joint market will be established between the two countries for the first time."

The development of the joint border markets is expected to improve the business activities of border residents, he added.

“Based on the agreements reached, the two sides have appointed technical teams to determine the location and size of the joint markets and to prepare a list of the items that would be traded in the markets,” the official explained.

He stated that joint markets will be set up in Kuhak and Pishin (Saravan) in the near future, and specified: “Pakistan has proposed six points on the border to create joint markets, and the Iranian side is interested in setting up joint markets as much as possible in place of existing approved markets.”

Currently, border markets of Saravan-Jaleq, Saravan-Kuhak, Sarbaz-Pishin and Chabahar-Rimdan in Sistan-Baluchestan province are active on the border with Pakistan, and the Mirjaveh market has been merged with Mirjaveh customs, according to Seyed Aqazadeh.

As announced by the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), the value of Iran’s non-oil exports reached $10.7 billion in the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year, up 69 percent compared to the last year’s same period.

MA/MA