Iran has exported 18,884 tons of commodities to Ira through Mehran border since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20), IRNA reported quoting an official as saying on Tuesday.

Mahnaz Hemmati, the head of standard department of Iran’s western Ilam Province, also said that 158,000 tons of goods were exported to Iraq from this border point in the past Iranian year.

She added that the main exported goods were constructional materials, chemicals, and auto parts.

Shahid Soleimani border point, also known as Mehran border point, only 230 km away from Baghdad, is the closest Iranian border point to the Iraqi capital.

Last week, Mehr news agency reported that Iran and Iraq resumed trade through Mandali (Soomar) border which had been closed for about five months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mazen al-Khuzai, the director of Mandali Region, announced the reopening of the mentioned border crossing, the Al-Malumah news site published.

Accordingly, dozens of trucks, passing from the Iranian border, headed towards Mandali border, the official added.

Mandali border crossing is located in the vicinity of the Soomar border marketplace, in the Iranian Kermanshah province.

The economic and political relations between Iran and Iraq have increased significantly in the past few years and the two neighbors are seeking ways to facilitate financial transactions and boost their trade ties.

The two countries have it on the agenda to increase the value of their bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2021.

In mid-June, the two sides decided about implementing an agreement for using Iran’s export revenues in Iraq for importing basic goods from the country.

According to the Governor of Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Abdolnaser Hemmati, under the framework of the mentioned agreement, Iran will use its gas and electricity export revenues which amount at several billion dollars a year in addition to CBI resources in Iraq, for importing its required goods from the country.