Shafaq News- Tehran

Trade traffic between Iran and Iraq surged during the first month of Iran’s new fiscal year, which began on March 21, with 23,759 commercial trucks carrying more than 456,000 tons of goods worth over $148 million crossing from Kermanshah province into Iraq.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, citing Kermanshah Customs supervisor Reza Nikrouz, reported that the Khosravi border crossing handled the largest share of truck traffic with 7,357 trucks, followed by the Parviz Khan crossing bordering the Kurdistan Region with 6,409 trucks. The Somar crossing near Mandali recorded 6,065 trucks, while the Shoshmi and Sheikh Saleh crossings linking Iran with Kurdish areas registered 1,951 and 1,977 trucks, respectively.

The exports included construction and industrial materials as well as agricultural and food products. Major goods shipped through the crossings included steel and iron billets, chemical fertilizers, marble stone, tomato paste, powdered milk, fresh tomatoes, vegetables, and fruits such as watermelon and cucumbers.

Iraq remained the main destination for Iranian exports through Kermanshah province last month, with shipments exceeding $148 million and totaling around 459,000 tons, according to Kermanshah Customs Director General Reza Nikroush.

The expanding trade activity comes as Tehran and Baghdad continue developing cross-border transport infrastructure. Iran is advancing work on the 263-kilometer Kermanshah–Khosravi railway as Iraq develops a parallel line to establish a rail trade corridor between the two countries. Approved in 2012, the route is expected to transport cargo from northwestern Iran and neighboring countries into Iraq.