ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan region’s economy may benefit from the recent lifting of Western economic sanctions against Iran, Kurdish customs officials said.

“No doubt the level of trade between the Kurdistan region and Iran would be increasing,” said Masoud Bateli, head of the Customs Community at the Haji Omran border with Iran.

“Iran will be a gateway to the world and numerous commodities from Kurdistan and other countries can be sent to Iran through the border gates,” he told Rudaw.

Kurdish officials say that another benefit would be that Iran will possibly become another route for Kurdish oil and gas going to the world.

Kurdish oil currently arrives on world markets through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

Abdull Vahid Gvani, mayor of the border area of Choman, told Rudaw: “One of the major benefits from the lifting of sanctions against Iran is that this country will open up to the world, so the Kurdistan region can use it as the closest gate to export oil and gas to the world market.”

Iran and the Kurdistan region are currently engaged in trade through three official and as many non-official border stations. Last year, bilateral trade between the two was estimated at $4.5 billion. The lifting of sanctions is expected to bring important changes to the Iranian economy, such as an increase in the value of Iranian currency. That means an increase in the price of Iranian-made commodities sold in the Kurdistan region.

Rudaw