TEHRAN- Developments in recent months in the field of transportation and foreign trade, especially following disruptions in regional maritime routes, have turned policymakers' attention more than ever to the capacities of land borders and trade corridors.

According to IRNA, experts believe that excessive dependence of the country's foreign trade on certain limited entry points, especially southern routes, can increase economic vulnerability in critical situations and regional tensions. Therefore, developing and redesigning land corridors and diversifying entry and exit points for goods has become one of the government's priorities.

In this context, the government has assigned the responsibility of leading and centrally managing the country's borders to the Ministry of Economy and Iran Customs, with the aim of increasing coordination among executive bodies and eliminating management fragmentation. Based on this decision, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance chairs the working group for integrated border management; an action that experts believe can lead to increased accountability, trade facilitation, and reduced bureaucracy at border entry points.

Those active in the field of economy, believe that diversifying the country's trade borders, in addition to reducing transportation and trade costs, provides the basis for utilizing the capacities of various border regions. According to them, the development of new corridors means that the economic benefits of foreign trade are not limited to just a few provinces or specific borders, and more regions can benefit from trade opportunities.

This issue has gained particular importance from the perspective of passive defense in current circumstances. Economic security experts believe that using diverse routes for imports and exports increases the country's resilience against external pressures and reduces the risk of disruption in the supply of essential goods.

In this regard, on May 28th (Iranian calendar: 8th Khordad), Masoud Pezeshkian, the President, emphasized at a coordination meeting for accelerating the supply of essential goods and medicine the maximum use of the capacity of northern ports, the development of alternative trade corridors, and utilizing the capacity of neighboring countries such as Pakistan, Russia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan. He also called for accelerating the implementation of agreements related to activating new routes for supplying and transporting goods.

According to a report presented at this meeting, negotiations with neighboring countries have led to the activation and strengthening of a significant portion of land entry points and alternative transportation routes, and the process of importing essential goods through these routes is expanding.

Seyyed Ali Madanizadeh, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, also stated, referring to the government's actions to facilitate foreign trade, that the necessary planning has been done to transfer a portion of the country's imports to northern corridors and land borders, and this policy is being implemented. According to him, some of the regulations and administrative obstacles that had troubled the trade and production process over the past years are being amended or removed so that the process of customs clearance and goods movement can be carried out more quickly.

Meanwhile, those active in private sector have supported this approach. Hamidreza Salehi, a member of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce's board of representatives and Secretary-General of the Energy Export Federation, told IRNA that the centralized management of borders by the Ministry of Economy is a sign of the government's attention to the economic dimensions of border governance, and said: The development of land corridors can simultaneously help increase foreign trade and strengthen the country's economic resilience.

According to him, dependence on one or a few limited trade routes not only increases trade costs but also exposes the country's economy to harm in times of crisis. In contrast, utilizing the capacity of all customs offices, free zones, and border crossings can reduce costs for economic activists and pave the way for trade prosperity.

Salehi also emphasized the need to pay simultaneous attention to exports and imports, stating: The country's trade policies should not focus solely on facilitating imports.

According to him, developing entry and exit points for goods and strengthening export infrastructure can lead to increased foreign exchange earnings, reduced transaction costs, and an improved position for Iran in the network of regional corridors.

In Salehi's view, implementing plans such as the smartening of customs offices and the revitalization of free zones, which are being pursued by the Ministry of Economy, alongside the development of land corridors, can pave the way for increasing Iran's share of regional and international trade – an issue that is more important now than ever for strengthening the national economy and increasing the country's resilience.

EF/MA