IRNA- Iraqi Kurdistan Region says Iran can now export up to 200,000 tons worth of goods to Syria via this autonomous region that provides the shortest land route to the Arab country in comparison to Turkey

'We have approved a circular on transit of 200,000 tons of Iranian goods and commodities to Syria via the Iraqi Kurdistan Region,” said the Kurdistan Region’s General Customs Director Saman Abdulrahman Aziz on Tuesday while meeting Director of Iran’s Customs Administration (IRICA) Mahdi Mir Ashrafi in Tehran.

“This is the latest move by the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to facilitate transit of Iranian goods,” he added.

The Iraqi Kurd official said talks are underway with the region’s economy minister to ease restrictions on the three customs administrations on the border with Iran.

The latest move comes as Iran is eager to increase its annual trade with Iraq to 10 billion dollars by the end of the current Persian fiscal year (20 March). The bilateral commerce currently stands at eight billion and two hundred million dollars, according to the IRICA director.

Iraq was the second top destination of Iranian non-oil exports after China, according to the latest figures about the country’s exported goods during the past 11 months published by Iran’s Customs Administration.

“This means Iraq will take over China very soon,” Mir Ashrafi said.