TEHRAN- Despite high customs duties enforced by Iraq, trade between Iran and Iraq is rising via Chazabeh border, an Iranian provincial official told IRNA on Friday.

Saeed Mousavi, a director in the Chamber of Commerce of Ahvaz (center of Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province), said commodities are transported to Iraq via this border on Sunday and Wednesday every week.

He said 320 trucks carrying Iranian products passed through Chazabeh border on last Wednesday.

Mousavi further underlined that rising trade via this border is happening while Iraq is enforcing high customs duties on some products such as tile, ceramic, marble, tomato paste, and plastic products.

He announced that Iran has exported products worth $700 million to Iraq via Chazabeh border in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), and mentioned constructional materials, dairy products, and home appliances as the major exported items.

The economic and political relations between Iran and Iraq has increased significantly in the past few years and the two neighbors are seeking ways to facilitate financial transactions and boost their trade ties.

The two countries have it on the agenda to increase the value of their bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2021.

Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi visited Tehran in late July.

During his two-day visit, al-Kadhimi discussed how to strengthen ties between Iran and Iraq as well as their cooperation in a number of fields.

Several senior Iraqi officials including Minister of Finance and Prime Minister Assistant for Economic and Energy Affairs Ali Abdul Amir Allawi, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Petroleum Minister Ehsan Abdul Jabar, Health Minister Hassan Mohammad al-Tamimi, Minister of Planning Khaled Battal, Defense Minister Joma Enad, Electricity Minister Majed Hantoush, National Security Advisor Qassem al-Araji and Head of Trade Bank of Iraq Faisal al-Haimus  accompanied the prime minister on his first visit to a foreign country since taking office.

MA/MA