Figures Show Hike in Iran’s Non-Oil Exports in 7 Months

The figures of IRICA showed that Iran continued to export increased volumes of commodities and products to other countries in October, noting that the total weight of Iranian export shipments had amounted to 61.283 million metric tons (mt) over March-October, a decline of 18.2% year on year.

Oil products and metals accounted for a bulk of exports from Iran in the seven months to late October, IRICA Spokesman Morteza Emadi said.

He added that China was the largest customer of Iranian exports in March-October with some $9.181 billion worth of purchases, followed by Iraq at $4.029 billion and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at $3.476 billion.

IRICA data showed that imports into Iran rose by 14.4% to $31.727 billion in the seven months to late October.

That comes as shipments fell by 15.7% in volume terms to a total of 19.747 million tons over the same period, according to the same data.

The Iranian customs figures showed that the UAE had been the largest exporter to Iran over the March-October period with $9.435 worth of sales, followed by China at $8.284 billion and Turkey at $3.218 billion.

Iran declared an 18 percent hike in exports in the first six months of the current Persian calendar year (March 21-September 22).

Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Mehdi Baradaran said that the country has witnessed an 18% increase in its exports in the past six month.

The official noted that 70% of Iran's imports had been raw materials in the last year.

“This year, only 20% of imports were consumer and final goods, such as mobile phones, which were not produced domestically,” he added.

Baradaran also said that Iran's share in the field of home appliance exports has grown by 34%.

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