3 reasons for the drop in Iran’s exports to Iraq/decrease in exports to Iraq will be compensated in the second half of the year

Seyyed Hamid Hosseini, in an interview with the economic reporter of Fars news agency, said: “In the past months, Iran’s exports to Iraq have decreased to some extent, so that from the average of 600 million dollars of Iran’s monthly exports to Iraq, our exports are to Iraq in September reached 420 million dollars, but in Mehr our exports to Iraq increased and reached 647 million dollars.

* Exports of more than 4 billion dollars to Iraq during the first 7 months of the year

A member of the Board of Directors of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber stated that Iran’s exports to Iraq reached about 4 billion and 29 million dollars in 7 months and stated: According to the reports received from the borders, our exports to Iraq from the borders are increasing.

He stated: Therefore, although we faced a decrease in exports to Iraq in the first half of the year, and our exports to this country have decreased in terms of weight and value, we hope that with the trend that started in the second half of the year, our exports to this country will increase. In October, our average export to Iraq increased, and surveys show that we have a good situation in November as well.

* The possibility of increasing Iran’s exports to Iraq to 750 million dollars in the coming months

Hosseini stated: Due to the increase in exports, it is expected that our monthly exports to this country will reach 750 to 800 million dollars in the coming months, and in this way, we will compensate for the decrease in exports to Iraq in the second half of the year.

A member of the Board of Directors of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber said: Last year, our export currency to Iraq was 9 billion dollars without calculating the value of electricity exports, so despite the decrease in exports, we can hope for compensation if we put in a lot of effort.

* The reasons for the decrease in exports to Iraq in the first half of the year

He pointed out the factors affecting the decrease in exports to Iraq and said: Instabilities in Iraq and the expectation for the formation of a new Iraqi government, the Arbaeen ceremony and the slowing down of trade relations during those days, the removal of the preferred currency for basic goods in Iran are among the factors affecting There has been a decrease in exports to Iraq, but it seems that the conditions for exports have improved, and with the completion of the Iraqi government and the formation of the government, the probability of starting government projects will also increase, and our conditions for exporting to this country will improve.

In response to the question that despite competitors such as China and Turkey, can the Iraqi market still be maintained? He said: Although there is competition between us and Turkey in the Iraqi market share, we are not competitors in the field of export goods.

Stating that one of Turkey’s most important exports to Iraq is gold, Hosseini said: “This is despite the fact that we do not export gold to Iraq at all, so there is not much similarity between the goods we export to Iraq and the goods exported by Turkey to this country.”

He also mentioned the export of plastic from Turkey to Iraq and said: Although we have a petrochemical industry in Iran, we are not very active in the field of plastic export to Iraq, and one of the important exports of Turkey to Iraq is plastic.

Referring to the export of clothing from Turkey to Iraq, a member of the board of directors of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber stated: Iran is an importer in the field of clothing, and we do not have much say in this sector for exports, so we cannot say that Turkish goods will replace Iranian goods in exports to Iraq. will be

He said about the presence of China in Iraq’s export market: Although China is our valuable competitor in exports to Iraq, considering that goods such as electronic equipment, household appliances and turbines are exported from China to Iraq, we do not have competition with China in the field of these goods. .

He said: Of course, in the first 7 months of the year, China exported to Iraq twice as much as the first 7 months of our solar year, and we must try to reduce this gap.

The end of the message/T 46