TEHRAN- The value of export from East Azarbaijan province, in the northwest of Iran, rose 16 percent in the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21- April 20), as compared to the same month in the previous year, an official with the customs department of the province announced.

Leili Orangi said that more than 164,000 tons of commodities worth over $102 million were exported from the province in the previous year, indicating three percent fall in terms of weight year on year.

The official also announced that over 26,000 tons of products valued at over $75 million were imported to the province in the first month, showing 30 percent rise in terms of value, while no change in weight.

As previously said by the official, the value of export from East Azarbaijan rose 16 percent in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), from its preceding year.

Orangi said that commodities worth $1.654 billion were exported from the province in the previous year.

In terms of the weight, the exports indicate nine percent annual growth, she added.

The official named carpets and handicrafts, sweets and chocolates, glass and glass products, steel and cast iron, objects made of plastic materials, minerals and stones, nuts, petrochemical products, machinery and mechanical devices, components and parts, leather and shoes as the major exported items, and Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Georgia, Bulgaria, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Italy as the main export destinations.

She further announced that 441,000 tons of products worth $1.189 billion were imported to the province in the previous year, showing 19 percent rise in value, and six percent drop in weight year on year.

The official named Turkey, Germany, UAE, China, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Russia, India and Austria as the main sources of imports to the province in the past year.

The deputy head of Islamic Republic of Iran’s Customs Administration (IRICA) has announced that the value of Iran’s export of non-oil products has increased 25 percent in the first month of the current year, as compared to the same month of the past year.

Foroud Asgari also said that the country’s non-oil trade with other countries registered a $875-million positive balance in the first month.

Iran exported 7.324 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $3.699 billion in the said month, with 10 percent drop in weight as compared to the first moth of the previous year, the official stated.

The country’s monthly non-oil import stood at 2.252 million tons worth $2.824 billion, with one percent rise in value and 10 percent growth in weight year on year, he added. 

MA/MA