TEHRAN- The value of non-oil export from East Azarbaijan province, in the northwest of Iran, rose 31 percent during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-September 21), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, according to a provincial official.

Abdol-Hamid Sartipi, the acting director-general of the province’s Industry, Mining and Trade Department, said that 1.9 million tons of non-oil goods worth $902 million were exported from the province in the six-month period of this year, with a 49-percent growth in weight, year on year.

As previously announced by Mohammad-Jafar Ozmaei, the former director-general of the province’s Industry, Mining and Trade Department, non-oil commodities valued at $1.542 billion were exported from East Azarbaijan province in the past Iranian calendar year 1402 (ended on March 19).

He said that East Azarbaijan was among the top provinces of the country in terms of non-oil export in the previous year.

As previously announced by the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), the value of Iran’s non-oil exports increased by 6.5 percent during the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year, as compared to the same period of time in the past year.

Mohammad Rezvanifar said that the country exported 70 million tons of non-oil products valued at $25.8 billion during the first half of this year, also indicating 3.5 percent growth in terms of weight, year on year.

According to the IRICA head, Iran also exported $23.2 billion of oil and $600 million of technical and engineering services during the mentioned period, boosting the country's total exports to $49.6 billion.

During this period, the imports reached $32.6 billion, including $2.5 billion of gold bullion.

Stating that the country's total trade exchange during the first half of the current year was $82.2 billion, he added: “During this period, the trade balance of the country without oil and technical and engineering services was 6.8 billion dollars negative, and taking into account oil and technical and engineering services, it was 17 billion dollars positive.”

“The average value per ton of export goods increased by three percent to $366 in the first six months of this year,” he noted.

MA