TEHRAN – The value of Iran’s exports of agricultural and foodstuff products increased by 21 percent in the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-September 22), the spokesman of the International Relations and Trade Development Committee of Iran's House of Industry, Mining and Trade said.

According to Ruhollah Latifi, Iranian producers managed to export 3.5 million tons of the mentioned products valued at $2.428 billion, also registering a two percent rise in terms of weight, IRNA reported.

As reported, 84 percent of the total value and 94 percent of the total weight of the exports in the mentioned period went to 15 neighboring countries.

Of the total exported products, 424,871 tons worth $616 million were livestock, fishery, and dairy products, the official said, noting that the export of such products increased by 37 percent in the mentioned six months.

Meanwhile, 2.466 million tons of agricultural and horticultural goods worth $1.292 billion were also exported during this period.

The value of Iran’s non-oil trade reached $54.6 billion in the first half of the current Iranian year.

According to Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Mohammad Rezvanifar, the value of the Islamic Republic’s non-oil trade in the first half of the current Iranian year increased by 4.84 percent compared to the same period last year.

In terms of weight, the country’s foreign trade reached 82.3 million tons which was 23.78 percent more than the figure for the previous year’s first half.

Iran exported 67.7 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $24.144 billion in the mentioned six months. The export of non-oil commodities in H1 increased by 29 percent in terms of weight.

Meanwhile, some 17.6 million tons of goods valued at $30.443 billion were imported into the country in the said period, indicating an 11.62-percent rise in terms of value, and a 6.89 percent increase in terms of weight, year on year.

The average value of each ton of exported goods in the first six months of the current year was $356 and the average value of each ton of imported goods was $1,729.

EF/MA