TEHRAN (IRNA) – The Industries and Mines Ministry reported here Monday that Iran exported some $747 million of industrial commodities minerals in the first month of the new Iranian year (Farvardin, March 21-April 20).

The figure includes handicrafts, carry-on-luggage exports and border market exports.

The value of industrial and mining exports topped $725 million in the period and with adding of handicrafts exports the figure stood at $728 million, the ministry stated.

The sum was 66.5 percent higher than the same period last year, the report added.

The industrial and mining products constituted 85.7 percent of the total non-oil exports in the period.

Iran's non-oil exports topped $512.5 million in Farvardin which is over 5.7 percent higher compared to the same period last year, the Customs Administration said.

Of the figure $1.8 million and $42.1 million were carry-on-luggage and border exports, respectively, the report added.

Iran's non-oil exports are expected to surpass $8.5 billion by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2007), the report said.

It said the volume of goods exported in the current year shows a 24 percent boost compared to the figure released in the previous year.

Some $6 billion in non-oil commodities have been exported to different countries since the start of the current Iranian year.