TEHRAN- The value of export from Semnan province rose 16 percent during the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-October 22), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, according to a provincial official.

Yadegar Ahmadi, the head of the province’s Industry, Mining and Trade Department, announced that over 194,000 tons of non-oil goods worth about $82 million were exported from the province in the seven-month period, indicating also six percent growth in terms of weight, year on year.

The official also announced that over 18,000 tons of non-oil commodities valued at $138 million were imported to the province during the first seven months of the present year.

As previously announced by Morteza Hajian-Nejad, the director-general of the province’s Customs Department, the value of export from Semnan province increased by 19 percent in the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20).

Hajian-Nejad said that commodities worth $120 million were exported from Semnan province in the previous year.

He named Afghanistan, Russia, Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the major export destinations, and wire and cable, detergent, plastic containers, sodium hydroxide, evaporative cooler, wool and light hydrocarbon as the main exported items.

As announced by the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iran exported 79.5 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $28.3 billion during the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year.

Mohammad Rezvani-Far said that the 7-month non-oil export indicates 29.32 percent rise in weight, and less than one percent drop in value, year on year.

The official further announced that 20.9 million tons of non-oil goods worth $36 billion were imported to the country during the seven-month period of this year, with 6.21 percent growth in weight, and 12.61 percent rise in value, as compared to the same period of time in the previous year.

Rezvani-Far, who is also the deputy minister of finance and economic affairs, went on to say that the country’s seven-month non-oil trade stands at 100.4 million tons worth $64.4 billion, with 23.71 percent rise in weight, and 6.2 percent increase in value, year on year.

He named liquefied natural gas, liquefied propane and liquefied butane as the main exported goods, and China, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey and India as the main destinations of Iran's non-oil exports during the first seven months of the present year.

The IRICA head also mentioned corn as livestock food, mobile phones and soybeans as the main imported goods and the United Arab Emirates, China, Turkey, Germany and India as the main sources of non-oil imports of Iran in the said seven months.

During this period, the average customs value of each ton of exported goods went from $466 to $357, which shows a decrease of 23.43 percent, according to Rezvani-Far.

It should be mentioned that due to the decrease in global prices of some export goods, including petrochemical products, the country's non-oil export has faced a decrease in value despite the increase in weight.

The official also said that the average customs value of each ton of imported goods was $1,721, which has grown by 6.03 percent compared to $1,624 in the first seven months of the last year.

MA