Turkey is Iran’s biggest rival in Kurdistan region market
Head of Sanandaj Chamber of Commerce says if the statesmen want to materialize the goal of boosting trade exchange with countries, the embassies and foreign ministry should focus on economic diplomacy and the number of commercial counselors in the target export markets should be more than political ones.
Speaking to ILNA, Seyed Kamal Hosseini talked about the current trade condition between Iran and Kurdistan Region and prerequisites for expanding trade ties.
“The number of Iranian trucks which go to Kurdistan Region and return has increased comparing to the same period last year.”
He noted that most of goods which are exported to Kurdistan are construction materials, vegetables and fruits and the reason is the closure of the borders in most of the time last year and if the borders were not closed last year, maybe the situation would have seen no major and tangible change in the trade with this region.
Hosseini went on to say that Iran has been unable to materialize its export status in Kurdistan Region as it was expected, and this region is mostly consumer of goods and unfortunately rivals have outpaced Iran in Kurdistan Region market.
He reiterated that despite the slogan of non-oil exports, Iran has no readiness for it, and to this end, Iran needs to prepare border infrastructures, customs, transportation and too improve packing and quality of goods and other issues which will help the country competitive with other countries.
He added that the total trade exchange of Iran with Kurdistan including transit of goods is valued at around $6m that transit of the goods accounts for 70 percent of this figure.
“Transit means that Iran has created a condition for its rivals to use its territory for transporting their goods and to sell more than what Iran does.”
He noted that although transit makes money, but he does not believe in transit of foreign goods from our lands to a market that Iran itself can have presence, and therefore the country should find ways to ease the presence of its goods in those markets.
Hosseini went on to say that Turkey is Iran’s major rival in Kurdistan Region market, adding that Iran’s low quality packing of the goods and low quality of the goods are the reasons that have helped Turkish products to dominate this market.
He said that if Iran wants to dominate Kurdistan Region market, it should improve the infrastructures, packing of goods and the quality.
On the condition of COVID-19 vaccination in Kurdistan Region, he said vaccination in underway in this region and anybody who wants the jabs, he can have it, adding that condition in this region is not like Armenia that Iranians can travel there to have vaccine.
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