Ali-Asghar Abbaszadeh, the director general of East Azerbaijan customs, announced to reporters that exports from this province reached $596 million in the first four months of this year. This figure indicates a 22 percent increase in value compared to the same period last year. The customs of Tabriz and Sahlan accounted for the highest volume of exports.
Export goods and their destinations
Abbaszadeh added that the main export goods from the province's customs include cast iron, steel, copper products, petrochemical products, sweets and chocolates, glass and glass products, grain products, machinery, mechanical devices, and asphalt. These goods are mainly sent to neighboring countries and key markets such as Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, Georgia, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan.
Imports and food security
Abbaszadeh also reported a decrease in imports from East Azerbaijan customs in the first four months of this year. During this period, 150,000 tons of goods worth $359 million were imported. The main imported goods include mechanical machinery, tobacco, auto parts, meat, and road construction equipment sourced from countries such as Turkey, the UAE, China, Germany, and Russia. Additionally, 51,000 tons of essential goods worth $82 million were imported, including items such as red meat, legumes, soybean meal, medicine, rice, oil, and corn.
Economic dynamism and development plans
The director general of East Azerbaijan customs reported a 168 percent increase in customs revenues compared to last year, indicating economic dynamism and greater transparency in customs processes. He also referred to the implementation of the comprehensive development plan for Nourdouz customs, adding that this plan will increase traffic capacity at the Iran-Armenia border. In the first four months of this year, 64,000 incoming passengers and 66,000 outgoing passengers were recorded at the Nourdouz border.
Export challenges and opportunities
Abbaszadeh emphasized the importance of the Aras corridor, stating that this corridor will be the biggest transformation for the province, and increasing its share in exports and imports can help improve the economic situation. He also identified one of the existing problems as the lack of unified border management and stressed the need for reform in this area. According to him, if logistics infrastructure is improved, the province's exports could increase more than threefold.
