Iran Now Iraq's Main Trading Partner

By Hazem al-Jumaili, Azzaman. Posted September 8, 2008.

Bilateral trade between Iraq and Iran has boomed since the U.S.-led
invasion in 2003.

Iraqis snap up Iranian goods because they are cheaper than imported
counterparts, Baghdad traders said.

They said Iran has flooded Iraqi markets with cheap commodities,
which, despite their low quality in comparison to imports from western
countries, meet basic needs of unsophisticated Iraqi customers.

Iranian goods even rival those from China, a country known for its
considerably cheap exports.

"Almost all Iraqi traders have now shifted their attention to Iran,"
said Mohammed Abbas, a Baghdad trader.

He said Iran, rather than China, has become the source of household
utensils sold in Iraq.

Iran has several border points with Iraq. There are good paved roads
linking the countries and traders, businessmen and industrialists from
both sides can travel without restrictions.