TEHRAN- The value of non-oil trade between Iran and its neighbors stood at $3.496 billion in the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-April 20), the spokesman of Trade Development Committee of the Iranian House of Industry, Mining, and Trade announced.

Ruhollah Latifi put the weight of traded commodities at nearly seven million tons, and said that trade between Iran and its 15 neighbors rose 11.5 percent in value and 26 percent in weight as compared to the first month of the past year.

He said that Iran’s monthly non-oil export to the neighboring countries increased by 7.4 percent and non-oil imports from them rose by 17.4 percent, year on year.    

As previously announced by Latifi, the value of Iran’s non-oil export to its neighbors rose 19 percent in the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20).

He said that 75.184 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $30.537 billion were exported to the neighboring countries in the previous year.

Iraq with the purchase of non-oil goods worth $10.238 billion (15 percent growth) and registering a historical record, Turkey with $7.459 billion (23 percent growth), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with $5.767 billion (28 percent growth), Afghanistan with $1.638 billion (11 percent drop), and Pakistan with $1.448 billion (18 percent growth), were the first five export destinations of Iranian goods among the neighbors, the official said and added that Oman with $1.087 billion, Russia with $744 million, Azerbaijan with $654 million, Armenia with $464 million, Turkmenistan with $460 million, Kuwait with $198 million, Kazakhstan with $195 million, Qatar with $124 million, Saudi Arabia with $14.7 million, and Bahrain with $10.4 million ranked next.

According to Latifi, Iran imported 21.582 million tons of non-oil products valued at $28.305 billion from its neighbor in the past year, with a 10-percent growth in worth year on year.

The UAE with sales of $18.395 billion (11 percent growth), Turkey with $6.999 billion (15 percent growth), Russia with $1.577 billion (five percent drop), Pakistan with $842 million (170 percent growth), and Oman with $619 million (29 percent growth) were the first five sources of goods sales to Iran among the neighbors, he said and added that Iraq with sales of $264 million, Kazakhstan with $125 million, Qatar with $84 million, Azerbaijan with $34 million, Afghanistan with $29 million, Turkmenistan with $28 million, Armenia with $14 million, Kuwait with $12.5 million, and Bahrain with $3.5 million are in the next ranks respectively.

Latifi, who is the former spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), further stated that Iran's non-oil trade with neighboring countries accounted for 52 percent of its total non-oil trade, exports to these countries for 57.5 percent of the total non-oil exports, and imports from them for 47.5 percent of the country's total non-oil imports in 1401, which shows the increasing importance of neighbors in Iran’s foreign trade and bringing foreign currency to meet the needs of the country under sanctions.

MA

Highlight: Iran’s annual non-oil export to its neighbors increases by 19%