Trade Resumes at Afghan Border Terminal After Taliban Conflict

EghtesadOnline: Mahiroud customs terminal, known as Sheikh Abu Nasr Farahi on the Afghan side, resumed its operation on July 10 after it was shut down following a conflict between Afghan government forces and the Taliban, the spokesperson of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration said.

News ID: ۷۸۶۶۵۴

12 July 2021

"The process of exporting goods is slow, as trucks have been abandoned at the frontier on the Afghan side," Rouhollah Latifi was also quoted as saying by IRNA.

Mohammad Taqi Hashemi, an official with Khorasan Razavi Governorate, said problems related to Afghanistan are beyond the jurisdiction of IRICA and if traders carry out customs procedures, they will be free to export their goods.

"Due to the needs of the Afghan people and government for cross-border exchanges at the Dogharoun border crossing, also known as Islam Qala on the Afghan side, we anticipate that this border crossing will also be reopened in the coming days and activities will return to normal," he added.

Trade at Islam Qala terminal (Dogharoun on the Iranian side) in Afghanistan’s Herat Province was also halted due to the conflict.

Meanwhile, Milak terminal in Sistan-Baluchestan Province has remained open for cross-border trade.

Yet, according to Latifi, the redirection of trucks from the two aforementioned crossings to Milak is not possible due to the limited capacity and facilities in this southernmost terminal with the neighboring Afghanistan.

Former Iranian commercial attaché to Afghanistan, Mohammad Mehdi Javanmard-Qassab, had said neither Taliban nor Afghanistan’s central government have placed any restrictions on trade with Iran.

“In a notification, the Taliban have stated that they have not set any bans or limits for the travel of traders and customs offices can carry on their usual activity. As far as we know, Farah Chamber of Commerce and members of the Taliban have held a meeting and other such meetings are also scheduled in the coming days. Mahiroud border crossing is expected to reopen soon.”

Javanmard-Qassab added that if imports of goods into Afghanistan are delayed or banned, commodity prices will rise and this is not desirable for Afghanistan.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said that the border guards are protecting borders with Afghanistan and there is no concern about the insecurity that erupted in western Afghanistan that borders Iran.