TEHRAN - The value of Iran’s non-oil exports reached $17.24 billion in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-July 22), up 22 percent compared to the last year’s same period, according to the data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

Based on the mentioned data, Iran exported 35.656 million tons of non-oil commodities in the mentioned four months, IRIB reported.

Meanwhile, some 11.159 million tons of goods valued at $17.24 billion were imported into the country in the said period, indicating a 17-percent rise in terms of value compared to the last year’s same time span.

In total, the Islamic Republic traded about 46.815 million tons of non-oil goods worth $34.48 billion with its trade partners in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year, up 19 percent in terms of value, the IRICA data showed.

Iran's top export destination during this period was China with $5.617 billion worth of imports from the Islamic Republic, followed by Iraq with $2.398 billion, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with over $2.264 billion, Turkey with $2.06 billion, and India with $567 million.

Liquid propane, methanol, liquefied natural gas, urea, liquid butane, polyethylene, bitumen, light petroleum oils, iron and steel ingots, and light oil products were among the top exported items in the said four months.

Meanwhile, the country’s top five sources of imports during these four months were the UAE with $4.875 billion, China with $4.422 billion, Turkey with $1.787 billion, India with $859 million, and Russia with $599 million worth of imports.

As previously announced by the IRICA Head Alireza Moqadasi, the value of Iran’s non-oil trade rose 38 percent in the past Iranian calendar year 1400 (ended on March 20), as compared to its previous year.

Moqadasi put the country’s non-oil trade at 162 million tons worth $100 billion in the past year.

He said that Iran exported 122 million tons of non-oil products worth $48 billion in the previous year, which was $14 billion (41 percent) more than the figure for the preceding year.

The country's non-oil trade record in 1400 was reached while the toughest sanctions were imposed on Iran, but thanks to God and the efforts of entrepreneurs, producers, and the cooperation of foreign trade-related organizations, a historical record was achieved in the past year which was unprecedented in recent decades, the official has underlined.

EF/MA