Exports to Tajikistan up 40% as direct flights boost trade, tourism: Chamber
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
Iranian exports to Tajikistan rose more than 40% in the first seven months of the calendar year, which began on March 21, compared with the same period a year earlier, driven overwhelmingly by shipments from Khorasan Razavi Province, a senior trade official said.
According to Kazem Shirdel, the vice president of the Iran-Tajikistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, Iran’s exports to Tajikistan totaled over 365,000 metric tons valued at more than $225 million during the first seven months of the current year. This marks a significant increase from the roughly 260,000 tons worth $157 million recorded in the same timeframe in the last Iranian calendar year.
Shirdel emphasized that Khorasan Razavi accounted for 74% of the export volume and 81% of the export value during this period. For the full last year, Iran exported 490,000 tons worth $302 million to Tajikistan, with the same province contributing 83% by volume and 80% by value.
Iranian exports to much of Central Asia are either directly handled by Khorasan-based economic actors or routed through the northeastern province before reaching neighboring markets, the businessperson noted.
The growth in trade coincides with a notable uptick in tourism and people-to-people exchanges, following the mutual abolition of visa requirements between the two countries. Direct weekly flights between Iran and Tajikistan have increased to around seven, with services operating from Mashhad, Tehran, and Kish. The expansion has spurred medical tourism and broader commercial activity, Shirdel said.
According to the representative of the Khorasan Razavi Exporters Union, high-level diplomatic visits by Iranian and Tajik ministers and officials, coupled with the current administration’s emphasis on economic diplomacy, have played a pivotal role in deepening bilateral trade ties. Under the new government, border province governors — including those from Khorasan Razavi — have been granted expanded authority to negotiate trade arrangements with neighboring countries, with guidance from the private sector.
Recent official economic delegations to Central Asian nations, including Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, have included private-sector representatives, a practice less common under previous administrations. This public-private coordination has enhanced trade facilitation, Shirdel added.
He said that flight connectivity has also markedly improved. Direct flights, once limited to two routes from Tehran and Mashhad, now include three to four weekly services from Tehran and two to three from Mashhad. Plans are underway to add routes from Kish and Shiraz.
These developments are expected to yield visible gains in both tourism and exports by the end of the Iranian year in March 2026, Shirdel said.
“Key Iranian exports to Tajikistan include steel construction products such as rebar and profiles, PVC compounds, polymer granules, foodstuffs, and petrochemicals. In return, Tajikistan mainly exports cotton to Iran.”
Iran maintains a trade surplus with Central Asian states, particularly Tajikistan, and remains a dominant supplier to the region, he said. To foster balanced trade, Shirdel proposed importing Tajik dried fruits via the Sarakhs Free Trade Zone for processing, packaging, and re-export to other regional markets with added value.
He also called for structured management of incoming medical tourists from Tajikistan, including the formation of specialized task forces to monitor expenditures and prevent potential misuse or irregularities.