Transit of Afghan goods through Sheikh Abu Nasr Farahi border crossing doubles
The transit of Afghan traders’ goods through the Sheikh Abu Nasr Farahi border crossing doubled in the first six months of the solar year 1405, reaching 805,000 tonnes, according to Iranian media.
Iran’s IRNA news agency quoted Mohammad Kuhgard, Director General of Customs in Iran’s South Khorasan Province, as saying transit volumes increased by 100 percent compared with the same period last year, strengthening the crossing’s role in regional trade.
Kuhgard also reported a sharp rise in goods handled under the “transit from origin” procedure at Mahirud Customs. Some 85,000 tonnes of goods passed through the facility during the period, an increase of more than 1,300 percent year-on-year.
Under this procedure, customs formalities for Afghan traders’ goods are completed at Mahirud before the shipments are transported to their intended destination countries.
Kuhgard said more than 65 kilometres of the road connecting Mahirud in Iran to Farah Province in Afghanistan have been asphalted. Completion of the route could help reduce transit times and transportation costs between the two countries.
The head of Iran’s Birjand Chamber of Commerce described Afghanistan as South Khorasan’s main export market and trading partner, saying stronger commercial ties, easier imports and the removal of customs barriers could further expand bilateral trade.
