TEHRAN - Visitors to the 5th China International Import Expo welcomed the pavilions of 11 Iranian companies.

The event opened in East China's Shanghai on November 4 and ended on November 10.

The Iranian companies displayed their products and achievements in the fields of agriculture, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals, IRNA reported.

A total of 145 countries, regions, and international organizations participated in this year’s expo.

Iran-China trade

China is one of Iran’s main trade partners that has maintained strong trade ties with the Islamic Republic despite the U.S sanctions.

Iran and China officially signed a document for 25-year comprehensive cooperation in March 2021.

According to the data released by China’s customs administration, the value of Iran’s non-oil exports to China reached $5.37 billion in the first nine months of 2022, registering an 11-percent rise year on year.

The Islamic Republic exported $4.84 billion worth of goods to China in January-September 2021.

Based on the mentioned data, Iran and China traded $12.32 billion worth of commodities in the mentioned nine months to register an 18-percent increase compared to $10.49 billion in the same period in 2021.

China's exports to Iran in the first nine months of 2022 also grew by 23 percent compared to the previous year to reach $6.95 billion. The Asian country had exported $5.65 billion worth of goods to Iran in the same period of the previous year.

Iran-China non-oil trade stood at $14.8 billion in 2021, according to China’s customs administration.

The value of trade between the two countries during the previous year declined by less than one percent in comparison to 2020 in which the figure was reported to be $14.9 billion.

China's imports from Iran in 2021 grew by more than one percent compared to the previous year and reached $6.5 billion. China imported $6.4 billion worth of goods from Iran in 2020.

However, China's exports to Iran in January-December 2021 fell by about two percent to $8.3 billion from $8.5 billion in the previous year.

Iran mainly exports foodstuffs and agricultural products to China while importing machinery and industrial raw materials, medical equipment, fabrics, and auto parts.

MG