The joint Afghan-Iran committees have been set up to resolve border issues and improve the movement of goods across the border, according to the Iran Chamber of Commerce press release on April 22.

The initiative was announced by Mahmoud Siadat, president of the Iran-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, in a review of the chamber's work over the Iranian calendar year 1404 (2025-26).

Afghanistan, as a landlocked country, conducts all of its trade through three road customs crossings and one rail customs crossing, with the most important being the Dogharoun Free Zone customs point on the Iran-Afghanistan border.

Operational disruptions, infrastructure limitations and regulatory inconsistencies have caused direct transport costs to more than double, hitting the final price, delivery schedules and competitiveness of Iranian exporters in the Afghan market.

The transit of Afghan goods through Iran has emerged as a strategic but underused capacity, particularly given political tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The chamber also sought to reduce the trade imbalance with Afghanistan through import substitution. In conditions of heightened political tension, a stable supply of essential goods and food has taken on additional importance.

Targeted imports from Afghanistan, including pulses, could balance trade relations and support Iran's food security.

The chamber also established the joint committees to track border issues with the Iranian and Afghan sides, leading to an improved, although still fluctuating, situation at the border crossings.

Trade delegations were sent to Herat and Kabul for the agriculture and livestock sectors, resulting in cooperation memoranda.

Externally, the chamber focuses on expanding its programme of economic cooperation through participation in exhibitions, trade delegations, and business-to-business meetings, supported by consulting, training, and analytical services.

The joint chamber said improved border flows and reduced transaction costs would deliver benefits ranging from non-oil export growth and currency earnings stability to lower prices and employment in Iran's eastern border provinces.

Broader economic development in Afghanistan would also ease border security pressures and reduce irregular migration flows.