A total of 319,390 tons off commodities have been transited via Milak border terminal in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province’s Hirmand County since the beginning of the current Iranian year on March 20, 2020, showing a 25% increase compared with the similar period of last year, a local official said recently.
“Some 400 trucks commute through Milak daily to the neighboring Afghanistan, which is our gateway to Central Asian countries,” Teymour Baqeri was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
The official said Milak’s proximity to Chabahar Port, its location along the country’s East-West Transportation Corridor and recent development projects carried out at the checkpoint and the region are what make this border crossing special.
The opening hours of Milak was extended on Sept. 16 for 10 days from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. to speed up the flow of commercial traffic on Iran’s side of the border, ILNA reported.
The agreement was reached after a videoconference between Iranian and Afghan heads of customs administrations and an in-person meeting between local officials of Sistan-Baluchestan and Afghanistan’s Nimruz Province.
Wheat, sugar, fabrics, food, dairy products and vegetables are the main items Iran exports to Afghanistan via Milak border crossing.
Besides Milak (which is the main trade corridor between Iran and Afghanistan), the two countries have two other border crossings, namely Mahiroud in South Khorasan Province and Dogharoun in Taybad County of Khorasan Razavi province.
Iran exported $1.2 billion worth of non-oil goods to Afghanistan during the first eight months of the current fiscal year (March 20-Nov. 20).
Iron and steel bars had a major share of the exported products with 177,700 tons worth $70 million, Fars News Agency reported.
Iran also exported 798,100 tons of cement worth $21.4 million to the neighboring country during the period.
Afghanistan received the first cargo of Iran's export goods, 400 tons of cement, through the newly-launched Khaf-Herat railroad in early December.
The trial shipment was transferred from Iran to Afghanistan's Herat via railroad, according to Jilani Farhad, the spokesman ofr Herat governor.
