Azernews.Az

Suitecase trade between Iran and Azerbaijan through Astara customs has increased by 33 percent compared to last Iranian calendar year, IRNA news agency reported.

Port director of Astara border city customs Jahangir Bakhshi said in the first 11 months of this current Iranian year (ends on March 21) Iran exported goods worth $36 million through Astara customs to Azerbaijan.

Bakhshi noted that the trade increased by 18 percent in terms of weight, and by 33 percent in terms of value.

Among the exported items were food, clothes, plastic, agricultural products, etc.

Bakhshi also said that 528,000 people crossed the border from Azerbaijan to Iran and back in the 11 month period.

Iran and Azerbaijan mostly do suitcase trade, and according to Bakhshi, most of the goods were exported to Azerbaijan.

Iranian Agriculture Minister Sadeq Khalilian said on Dec. 26, that the country's agricultural product output will surpass 118 million tons in the current Iranian Calendar year which ends March 19, 2013.

Khalilian said that this amount is bigger than the predicted number in the Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan, adding that Iran's agricultural product exports saw a 15 percent increase in the first eight months of Iranian Calendar year.