TEHRAN- The value of export from South Khorasan province, in the east of Iran, increased by 94 percent during the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21), according to a provincial official.

Mohammad Kouhgard, the director-general of the province’s Customs Department, announced that 304,286 tons of commodities worth $39.057 million were exported from South Khorasan province in the three-month period.

He named Iraq, Armenia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan as the major export destinations, and cement, melons, tiles and ceramics, and plastic products as the main exported items.

The official further announced that 730,000 tons of goods valued at $1.635 million were imported to the province in the first quarter of the present year.

According to the data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iran’s non-oil trade stood at 44.1 million tons worth $26.5 billion during the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year.

Based on the IRICA data, the country’s non-oil export reached 35.5 million tons worth $12.5 billion, while the imports were 8.6 million tons valued at $14 billion in the first quarter of the current year.

During the mentioned period, the exports rose 24.4 percent in weight but dropped 8.84 percent in terms of value, however, the imports increased one percent in weight and 5.79 percent in value, as compared to the same period of time in the previous year.

China, Iraq, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and India were the top five export destinations of Iranian non-oil goods in the mentioned three months, and the UAE, China, Turkey, Germany, and India were the top five sources of import.

According to the IRICA data, corn, soybeans, sunflower seed oil, rice, wheat, and barley were the main items imported to the country.

MA