TEHRAN- The value of non-oil trade between Iran and Turkey stood at $9.9 billion in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-October 21), the former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced.

Mohammad Rezvanifar said that Turkey was the second top trade partner of Iran among its neighbors in the seven-month period.

As previously announced, Iran exported non-oil goods worth $2.4 billion to Turkey in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-Septemebr 22).

Turkey was the fourth export destination of Iran among its other neighbors during the six-month period.

Iran also imported commodities worth $5.1 billion from Turkey, which made the country the third source of import for Iran in the first half of the year.

During a meeting between a delegation of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (TCCIMA) and the senior directors of the Turkish Exporters Union (TiM), the two sides explored the ways to improve and develop trade relations between the private sectors of the two countries.

In the meeting, held at the place of TiM in Istanbul, in the first week of September, the areas of development of commercial cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries were discussed and the use of advantages and capacities in the fields of tourism, food, textile and pharmaceutical industries was emphasized, the TCCIMA portal reported.

In this meeting, TCCIMA Head Mahmoud Najafi-Arab referring to the trade balance of 1.6 billion dollars between the two countries, which is also positive for Turkey, mentioned the re-export of some Iranian products through this country as one of the opportunities to optimize the trade relations between the two countries.

Recalling that Turkey has great power and experience in the field of tourism, he mentioned the use of the capacity of Turkish tourism companies to cooperate with the Iranian tourism industry and to increase the attraction of foreign tourists to Iran as another area of development of relations between these two neighboring countries.

Najafi-Arab also pointed to Iran's high power and knowledge in the textile industry and said that by setting up a joint cooperation program, the global expertise of Turkish companies can be used to strengthen the branding of Iranian products in international markets.

The TCCIMA head then pointed to the technical knowledge and expertise of Iranian companies in the pharmaceutical industry, especially in biotech drugs and probiotic industries, and emphasized on strengthening cooperation between the two countries in these sectors.

Addressing the same meeting, TiM Deputy Ahairman Ahmet Gulec explained about this large Turkish private sector union and reminded that currently 150,000 Turkish exporters are members of this union and 61 export associations of this country also form the body of this large entity.

According to him, this union covers 27 product groups in the agricultural, industrial, mining and service sectors, and supporting Turkish exporters for their greater presence in the world markets is one of the main goals of the union.

He further put the export value of Turkey in 2023 at $357 billion and the import value at $410 billion, and reminded that the country plans to rise the value of products export to $375 billion and the value of services export to $200 billion by 2028.

He called the joint investment and the construction of Turkish factories in Iran and vice versa, among the capacities of joint cooperation and reminded that the TiM is ready to cooperate and interact with the TCCIMA to strengthen and develop the exports of the companies of the two countries.

In early July, Director of Asia and the Pacific Office of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) International Affairs Department Niloufar Asadi said a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Iran and Turkey should replace the previous trade agreements between the two countries to boost economic exchanges.

In a meeting with the Consul General of Iran in Istanbul, Asadi referred to a previously reached preferential trade agreement between Iran and Turkey under the framework of the Group of Eight Developing Islamic Countries (D8) and said: “Considering the shortcomings of the previously signed preferential trade agreement and the necessity to improve and develop it, I suggest that a free trade agreement between the two countries replaces the previous agreements.”

During a meeting on October 29 between Iranian Minister of Transport and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh and Turkish Ambassador to Tehran Hicabi Kirlangiç , the Iranian minister said Iran and Turkey play a fundamental role in regional transit and freight transportation as the bridge between East and West.

According to her, the geographical position of Iran and Turkey acts as a link between Asia and Europe, opening up a priceless chance to boost regional and international freight and transit networks.

Sadegh noted that collaboration between Iran and Turkey across all domains will bolster peace and stability in the region.

Iran consistently endeavors to enhance its connections with Turkey across political, economic, cultural, scientific, and security fields, she said.

The minister considered the recent meetings between the high officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey as an expression of the good political relations and the strong will of the two countries to develop cooperation.

While emphasizing the readiness of the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development, as the Iranian chairman of the Iran-Turkey Joint Economic Committee, to benefit from all available capacities in order to develop bilateral relations, she wished the two great nations of Iran and Turkey, health, prosperity, happiness, security and progress.

To note, during seven months of the current Iranian year (from March 20 through October 21, 2024), more than 13.2 million tons of cargo were transited through Iran.

Transit via Iran increased by 42 percent during seven months compared to the same period last year (from March 21 through October 22, 2023).

As the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) has announced, the value of Iran’s non-oil trade with its neighboring countries has increased 23 percent in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year, as compared to the same period of time in the past year.

Mohammad Rezvanifar has put Iran’s non-oil trade with its neighbors at 64.5 million tons worth $41.1 billion in the seven-month period.

He said trade with the neighbors also increased by 16 percent in terms of weight.

According to Rezvanifar, Iran exported 51.1 million tons of non-oil goods worth $20.2 billion to the neighboring countries in the seven-month period of this year, while importing 13.4 million tons of goods valued at $20.9 billion.

Regarding Iran's main export destinations among the neighboring countries, he said: “Iraq, the UAE, Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan were the five main export destinations of Iran among the neighboring countries.”

“United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Russia, Oman, and Pakistan were the five major sources of imports among the neighboring countries in the seven months of this year,” the official added.

MA