MNA – Islamic Republic of Iran overtook neighboring Turkey in export of products to Iraq in 2018, according to secretary general of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce.

Secretary General of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce Hamid Hosseini made the remark in an interview with IRNA on Sat. and put Turkey’s exports value of products to Iraq in 2018 at $7.35 billion.

He also put Iran’s exports value of products to neighboring Iraq in 2018 at $8.75 billion.

In total, Turkey exported $154 billion worth of products in 2017, $8.3 billion worth of which was exported to Iraq.

Turkey’s export of products in 2018 reached from $154 billion to $163 billion, he said, adding, “despite Turkey’s exports growth, the country’s share of exports to Iraq declined about $1 billion.”

The secretary general added, “statistics of Iran’s export of products to neighboring Iraq in 2018 show that the Islamic Republic exported $8.75 billion worth of products to Iraq in 2018, so that this figure excludes transit and medical tourism.”

In this regard, Turkish share of Iraq’s service market surpasses Iran in terms of health tourism, he maintained.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he emphasized that Iran will increase its exports to Iraq, adding, “although export of goods may face significant decline, Iran’s export of services would be accelerated.”

Hosseini put the trade volume exchanged between Iran and Iraq in 2018 at $6.502 billion, so that Iran and Iraq accounted for $6.425 billion and $77 million respectively.

Iran's export of products to Iraq in the nine months of current year (March 21 – Dec. 21) hit $7.322 billion, showing a significant growth as compared to the same period last year, the secretary general concluded.