The Dogharoun border, as one of Iran's key trade bottlenecks, is currently facing a 15-day delay for trucks and a waiting line of 4,671 vehicles for transit to Afghanistan. This critical situation is due to the increased volume of road trade and its mismatch with the current capacities of the borders.
Structural Challenges in Transportation
Structural challenges in the transportation sector, especially the lack of coordination in border fuel prices and the absence of fuel incentives for exported goods, have reduced Iran's competitive ability compared to global standards like Turkey. These issues, in turn, have negatively impacted the operating costs of transportation companies and led to increased trade costs.
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Managing perishable and refrigerated goods with a fuel crisis to maintain a constant temperature is currently facing serious challenges. This crisis could jeopardize the health of the supply chain for medicines and food. The head of the Iranian International Transportation Companies Association identified the multitude of decision-making organizations and the weakness of the scheduling system as the main factors of inefficiency in this area.
Economic and Social Impacts
The current situation of the country's trade borders has turned into a supply chain management crisis beyond just a logistical challenge. The 15-day delay for trucks at Dogharoun and the closure of the Chazabeh border highlight the deep gap between existing capacities and the actual volume of road trade. This situation not only negatively impacts the operating costs of transportation companies but also threatens the health of the supply chain for medicines and food by creating fuel shortages for perishable goods.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Roads seems to be in silence and inaction, while there is a need for quick and effective decision-making to improve the situation at the trade borders. These issues significantly affect national capital and could ultimately lead to a decrease in the country's economic prosperity.
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