Tehran offers suggestions to accelerate trade with Ankara

Iran is ready to increase trade exchanges with Turkey, the head of Iran Customs Administration said, referring to carrying out the pilot plan of electronic exchanging customs information, following up the possibility of electronic inquiry of the certificate of origin from the relevant Turkish authorities doing joint projects and increasing trucks’ transit.

Speaking with Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Customs and Trade Riza Tuna Turagay via a joint video conference, Mahdi Mir Ashrafi expressed readiness for holding border meeting in Bazargan-Gorbolagh border and implementing the pilot plan of the technical final project for exchanging customs information.

He added that Iranian customs also suggested following up the possibility of electronic inquiry of the certificate of origin from the relevant Turkish authorities.

Mir Ashrafi noted that Iran Customs Administration is ready to sign MoU on implementing the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) and green corridor.

He went on to say that increasing the capacity of accepting trucks in Gorbolagh customs and also increasing the capacity in Esendere.

Mir Ashrafi said the Turkish side has started accepting 120 people per day in the Esendere border since August 14.

He added that 110 trucks move toward Turkey per day and 50 ones move toward Iran.

Elaborating on Iranian drivers’ dissatisfaction over services provided and health conditions in Gorbolagh border, he said the issue is being addressed by the Turkish deputy economy minister.

He went on to say that the Turkish side suggested lifting the ban on the import of 68 items which are subject to Iran’s preferential tariff for Turkey.

They also requested for finalizing phase 3 of the e-TIR project and facilitating its implementation.

Mirashrafi ithen put forward the following suggestions, asking for required follow-up measures to be taken by the Turkish side.

• Iran suggests holding an introductory online meeting among the IT experts of the two parties on Tuesday, September 16th, to discuss the requirements and set the schedule for an upcoming face-to-face border meeting at Bazargan-Gorbolagh customs as well as the pilot implementation of a finalized project for electronic and online exchange of customs information,
• The Islamic Republic also calls for pursuing the possibility of electronic inquiry of the origin certificate from the affiliated authorities in Turkey,
• Iran Customs voices its readiness for signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Turkish counterpart for implementation of a project of Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) and simplified green corridor customs,
• Iran urges Turkey to increase the acceptance capacity of trucks at Gorbalag and Essen Darreh customs in Turkey by improving sanitation and quarantine facilities at the borders,
• Tehran wants Istanbul to remove the imposed restrictions on the reception of Iranian travelers to Turkey,
• Iran urges Turkey to increase the time span for receiving Iranian passengers at Gorbalagh Customs,
• To prevent the congestion of exported goods from Iran in the customs area of Gorbalagh in Turkey, the Turkish government is asked to do its required investigations on the specified Iranian goods at Doğubayazıt border,
• Iran announced its drivers’ dissatisfaction with the services provided and the lack of sanitary facilities at the Gorbalagh customs parking lot in Turkey and calls for required measures to be taken,
• Iran wants the acceptance of wagons Kapikoy-Razi border t be increased, and
• Iran criticized the frequent damages made to Iranian exported goods during assessment procedures carried by the Turkish side at Gorbalagh Customs.

The Iranian official said that the Turkish side, for his part, has asked for lifting of the ban on the imports of 68 items of goods subject to preferential tariffs and finalization of the third phase of the e-TIR project between the two sides.

END