Iran Bans Import of Afghan Marble & Travertine, Says Islamic Republic Official

Gholamreza Nazparvar, the chairperson of the Chambers of Industry and Mines of Khorasan Razavi province on Monday, expressed regret regarding the official ban on the import of marble and travertine from Afghanistan to Iran.

In a press conference, Nazparvar criticised the ban and called it "surprising".

According to Iran’s Student News Agency (ISNA), Nazparvar emphasised on the need to strengthen trade relations with Afghanistan and said, "Afghan brothers use the water and flour of our province, but we cannot use Afghanistan's resources because currently the import of Afghan marble and travertine into Iran is prohibited. "

He did not explain the reason for banning the import of Afghan marble and said, "This is not a matter of law, but a ministry directive. We hope to be able to lift this ban."

A 2022 World Bank report indicated that after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghanistan's trade relations have been limited to Pakistan.