TEHRAN – Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union on Monday reported the country restarted exports of gasoline and gasoil to Afghanistan, following a request from the Taliban.
The price of gasoline in Afghanistan reached $900 per tonne last week after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Reuters has said in a report.
To counter the price spike, the new Taliban government asked Iran to keep the borders open for traders.
“The Taliban sent messages to Iran saying ‘you can continue the exports of petroleum products’,” Hamid Husseini, board member and spokesperson at the Iranian union in Tehran, told Reuters, adding that some Iranian traders had been cautious due to security concerns.
Iranian exports began a few days ago after the Taliban cut tariffs on imports of fuel from Iran up to 70%, Husseini added, showing an official document from Afghan Customs organization.
The main Iranian exports to Afghanistan are gasoline and gasoil. Iran exported about 400,000 tonnes of fuel to its neighbor from May 2020 to May 2021, according to a report published by PetroView, an Iranian oil and gas research and consultancy platform.