TEHRAN - Iranian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exported $1.49 billion worth of commodities since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21) up to October 7, $450 million more than the figure for last year’s same period.

Iranian SMEs exported $1.04 billion in the last year’s 6.5-month period, the Deputy Director of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO) Asghar Mosaheb told IRNA on Monday.

According to the official, the mentioned exports have been made by 900 SMEs active in various industrial parks across the country.

He noted that although due to the problems pertain to the U.S. sanctions, the number of the exporting units has decreased compared to the previous year, but the value of exports has increased.

Mosaheb further noted that the value of exports by the country’s SMEs in the first six months of the current calendar year (March 21-September 22) also reached $1.03 billion to witness a 30 percent rise compared to the last year’s H1.

Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan were the top three export destinations in the period with $320 million, $216 million, and $51 million worth of imports respectively. 
The United Arab Emirates and Turkmenistan were the next in the line, according to Mosaheb.

Back in August, head of ISIPO announced that over 33,000 SMEs are currently active in Iran of which 1,100 are exporting their products and services to foreign destinations.

According to Mohsen Salehinia, currently 43,650 SMEs are based in over 800 industrial parks across the country, of which nearly 78 percent or 33,800 are active.
One of the major programs that ISIPO is following regarding the SMEs is reviving idle units and helping them to get back into business to increase the country’s domestic production and to boost exports to the neighboring countries.

Holding training courses, supporting SMEs participation in international exhibitions, supporting SMEs research and study projects, and supporting knowledge-based SMEs are some other programs which ISIPO is following to help SMEs expand their activities, according to Salehinia.

EF/MA