TEHRAN – Iran's non-oil exports rose 18 percent in the first nine months of the Iranian calendar year (March 21- November 21) to $43.14 billion, according to the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

Foroud Asgari said imports during the mentioned period, including gold bullion, amounted to $50.89 billion. The weight of imports declined by 3.16 percent to 27.94 million tons, he added.

Non-oil export volume reached 116.35 million tons in the nine-month period, a 13.77 percent increase from the previous year, Asgari noted. The average customs value per ton of exported goods rose 3.74 percent to $371.

Petrochemical exports accounted for 50.7 million tons, valued at $19.7 billion, representing a 33.25 percent increase in volume and a 32 percent rise in value year-on-year.

China remained Iran's top export destination, purchasing $11 billion worth of goods. Iraq followed with $9.4 billion, the UAE with $5.3 billion, Turkey with $5.2 billion, Afghanistan and Pakistan with $1.7 billion each, and India with $1.4 billion. Together, these seven countries accounted for 82.4 percent of the total export volume and 82.85 percent of export value.

The UAE topped the list of Iran’s import partners, exporting $15.3 billion worth of goods to Iran. China followed with $13 billion, Turkey with $8.9 billion, Germany with $1.8 billion, India and Russia with $1.1 billion each, and Hong Kong with $1 billion. These seven countries supplied 75 percent of the import volume and 83 percent of import value during the period.

The average customs value per ton of imported goods rose 8.4 percent to $1,821.

Natural gas in liquid form led the export list at $6 billion, followed by liquefied propane at $2.5 billion and methanol at $1.9 billion. Key imports included raw gold at $5.6 billion, livestock corn at $2.1 billion, and smartphones at $1.7 billion.

Asgari, who also serves as deputy economy minister, emphasized the role of trade in bolstering the national economy amid ongoing international sanctions.

EF/MA