TEHRAN - Iran exported $692 million worth of commodities to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) during the first six months of the current Iranian year (March 20-September 21), the portal of Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) reported.

According to Behrouz Olfat, director of Europe and America Department at TPO, among the 12 CIS countries, Iran's exports to Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Moldova in the mentioned period increased compared to the same period last year, while the exports to Georgia, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan experienced a decline.

"The outbreak of coronavirus and consequently health restrictions and border closures in some countries in addition to the border disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region as well as the U.S. sanctions have been effective in reducing our country's exports to the Commonwealth of Independent States,” Olfat explained.

Iran's imports from the mentioned region in the first six months of this year were estimated at $811 million, down two percent from the same period last year, although imports from Russia and Ukraine increased slightly due to imports of basic agricultural items, according to the official.

Iran exported a total of $13.566 billion to its trade partners in the mentioned period.

The country exported a total of 4.79 million tons of goods worth more than $1.75 billion to the Commonwealth of Independent States during the last Iranian year (March 2019-March 2020) to register a 133 percent rise in value compared with the year before, according to the spokesperson of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

“Our main export destinations in the CIS region were Russia with more than $457 million, Azerbaijan with $429 million and Armenia with $231 million,” Rouhollah Latifi said in September.

The official noted that around 1.17 million tons of commodities worth $1.56 billion were imported from the CIS states last year, registering a 10 percent year-on-year decline.

Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Moldova are permanent members and Turkmenistan has observer status in CIS.

EF/MA