Economy, Domestic Economy
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Tehran, Baku Promote Customs Cooperation

Representatives of the customs authorities of the two countries held a meeting in Azerbaijan on Dec. 23.
Representatives of the customs authorities of the two countries held a meeting in Azerbaijan on Dec. 23.

The customs bodies of Azerbaijan and Iran will prepare a plan in the framework of cooperation to combat customs offenses, the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan said.

Representatives of the customs authorities of the two countries held a meeting in Azerbaijan on Saturday, where they discussed strengthening cooperation in combating customs violations and exchange primary data on goods and vehicles passing through the border, Azernews reported.

An agreement was reached after the meeting, based on which Azerbaijan and Iran will complete the test regime and move to an active exchange of primary information on goods and vehicles passing through the border of the two countries.

This exchange of information will make it possible to apply the “green corridor” system for goods and vehicles passing through the border and speed up their customs clearance.

The customs bodies of Azerbaijan and Iran will prepare a long-term plan for cooperation within the framework of combating customs violations and pursuing mutual assistance issues. This plan will be submitted for approval by the heads of customs services of the two countries.

Azerbaijan and Iran have had fruitful diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991 and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992.

Currently, the two countries are focused on expanding economic ties in various fields, including industry, agriculture, energy, alternative energy and transportation.

Iran’s exports to Azerbaijan reached the highest level in the fiscal year to March 2013 to stand at $493 million. But it sharply decreased in the two years of international sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program and reached the lowest level in the fiscal year to March 2016, standing at $231.8 million.

The figure revived by 55% (to $358 million) next year, after the removal of sanctions.

Iran’s exports to Azerbaijan has gradually shifted from high price manufactured products such as shoes and dresses to raw materials such as cement, bitumen and potato in recent years, according to the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran.

The latest statistics by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration indicate that Iran’s exports to Azerbaijan experienced a fall of 7% during the first seven months of the current fiscal year to $237 million.

According to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee, trade turnover with Iran amounted to almost $229 million in January-November 2017, more than $213 million of which accounted for the import of Iranian products.

   Intergovernmental Commission Meeting Postponed

The 12th meeting of Azerbaijan-Iran intergovernmental commission for economic, trade and humanitarian cooperation has been rescheduled for mid-January 2018, the Azerbaijani Economy Ministry told Trend News Agency on Saturday.

Earlier, it was planned to hold the meeting in Iran’s Astara on Dec. 25.

The ceremony to open a cargo terminal and the Astara (Azerbaijan)–Astara (Iran) railroad as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor was also postponed for 2018.

Both events were to be held as part of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission.

 

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