Seyyed Hamed Hosseini, citing preliminary customs data through the end of Shahrivar (September 22), said the northeastern province exported 1.993 million tonnes of goods worth $877 million during the six months. Imports, meanwhile, totalled 189,000 tonnes, valued at $353 million.

According to Shada, the news outlet of Iran’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, Hosseini attributed the province’s trade performance to its border advantages and active customs facilities.

He added that some procedures related to import order registration, customs clearance, and foreign currency allocation had been accelerated. In certain cases, the foreign currency required to pay for imported goods is now allocated in less than a week, he said.

Hosseini noted that the country was drawing on all available capacities to maintain the flow of foreign trade.

Iron and steel bars, light oils and petroleum products other than gasoline, and non-alloy iron and steel ingots were among the province’s main export commodities during the period.

Major imports included uncarded or uncombed cotton, excluding cotton with its seed-bearing boll intact, electronic components and parts used in integrated circuits (ICs), and single yarn made from combed fibres.

Razavi Khorasan’s customs offices handled 2.647 million tonnes of goods in foreign transit during the first half of the year, Hosseini said. Transit shipments destined for onward delivery recorded a 10% increase, he added.

The province’s foreign trade balance through the end of Shahrivar stood at a surplus of $524 million, based on the difference between the value of exports and imports recorded by its customs offices.

The figures underscore the importance of Razavi Khorasan’s border infrastructure and customs network to its role in Iran’s regional trade and transit activity.