TEHRAN - Iran’s trade with the member nations of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) reached $5.762 billion in the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-November 20), the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) said.

According to Rouhollah Latfi, during the mentioned eight months Iran traded over 10,911,727 tons of commodities with ECO member countries including Turkey, Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Iran exported 7,430,423 tons of commodities worth over $2.945 billion to the said nations in the mentioned period.

Liquefied petroleum gas, oil products, fish, shrimp, tomato paste, vegetables, fresh and dried fruits, flowers and plants, saffron, and nuts were among Iran's top products exported to member countries of this mentioned union in the said period.

Meanwhile, the country imported 3,481,304 tons of goods valued at over $2.817 billion from the ECO member countries, with raw materials, yarn, cotton, barley, flaxseed, lentils, beans, medical equipment, industrial raw materials, acids, industrial equipment, and agricultural machinery being the top imported items.

As reported, during the mentioned time span, Afghanistan with $1.212 billion, was the first destination for the export of Iranian goods in this union, followed by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

According to the IRICA Head Mehdi Mirashrafi, the value of Iran’s non-oil trade during the first eight months of the current calendar year stood at $44.6 billion.

In the mentioned eight months, Iran imported $23.1 billion worth of goods, while the exports stood at $21.5 billion.

The total volume of traded goods was estimated at about 97.7 million tons, of which over 75 million tons were related to exports and about 21.8 million tons were imported goods.

Iran’s trade with ECO member nations stood at $4.542 billion in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-September 21).

EF/MA