TEHRAN- The value of exports from South Khorasan Province in east of Iran has risen 98 percent during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-July 21), compared to the same period of time in the past year, according to a provincial official.

Mohammad-Ali Khashi, the director-general of the province’s customs department, said that 1.049 million tons of commodities valued at $186.11 million have been exported from the province during the four-month period, indicating a 43-percent rise in terms of weight as well.

Iran’s Acting Industry, Mining, and Trade Minister Hossein Modares Khiabani has said that the ministry has it on the agenda to export $41 billion worth of non-oil commodities in the current Iranian calendar year (March 2020-March 2021).

According to the official, neighboring countries are the main target for the mentioned exports.

Khiabani noted that the government has paved the way for all productive units to export their products so that they would be able to supply their own machinery and raw materials.

"We have special programs for supplying raw materials, exporting and manufacturing of domestic products in the automotive, steel, food, home appliances and machinery industries,” he said.

Last year, Khiabani had said that his ministry was planning to increase the value of Iran’s non-oil exports to its 15 neighbors up to $50 billion.

“Our goal is to be able to meet five percent of our neighboring countries' needs, which would amount to more than $50 billion a year considering the total imports of all the 15 countries which is at least $1 trillion annually,” he said.

The official expressed hope that the mentioned goal would be realized before the Iranian calendar year of 1400 (which starts in March 2021), saying, “The Institute for Trade Studies and Research and also Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) are currently developing detailed plans to achieve this goal.”

Iran shares borders with fifteen countries, namely the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Oman, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.

MA/MA