TEHRAN – The value of Iran’s non-oil exports rose 12.22 percent during the first 11 months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2022-February 19, 2023), as compared to the same period of time in the past year.

According to Mohammad Rezvani-Far, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iran exported about 111.3 million tons of non-oil goods valued at $48.8 billion in the mentioned 11 months, registering a 1.16-percent decline in weight, IRNA reported.

Liquefied natural gas was the main exported product in the said time span, accounting for 13.97 percent of the total value of the exports, the IRICA head said.

Major export destinations of the Iranian non-oil goods were China, Iraq, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and India, according to the official.

The average value of each ton of exported goods has increased from $386 in the first 11 months of last year to $439 in the current year’s same period, which indicates a growth of 13.54 percent.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic imported 33.6 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $53.7 billion in the first 11 months of the present year, with a 15.28 percent growth in value and an 8.61 percent decrease in weight, year on year.

The IRICA head noted that the import of basic goods in the 11 months of this year has reached 22.6 million tons worth $17.8 billion, indicating a 6.33-percent growth in value and a 16.42-percent decrease in weight, year on year.

Corn, rice, soybeans, wheat, sunflower oil, barley, and soybean meal were among the items imported into the country in the said period, according to Rezvani-Far.

The United Arab Emirates was the top exporter to Iran in the mentioned 11 months, followed by China, Turkey, India, and Germany.

As previously announced by IRICA, the value of Iran’s non-oil exports also rose 17.66 percent during the first 10 months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2022-January 20, 2023), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, registering a new record high.

Earlier this month, the head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) said that the country’s value of non-oil export is expected to reach $52 billion in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 20).

“According to the preparations made for increasing export from the country, and the statistics obtained so far, it is expected that Iran's non-oil exports will reach $52 billion by the end of the year”, Alireza Peyman-Pak said on February 7.

“Fortunately, in the past months, very good measures have been taken in the field of Iran's export development, some of which have already shown their impact, and the other part will be revealed in the final statistics of our exports in the coming years”, the official added.

EF/MA