Iran’s export to its 15 neighboring countries accounted for 50.4% of its total exports in value during the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 21-July 22), according to the director general of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran's Arab and African Affairs Department.
“Exports to 15 neighboring countries stood at 22.29 million tons worth $7.25 billion during the period, registering a 26% and 42% growth in weight and value respectively year-on-year,” Farzad Piltan was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
Iran’s trade with neighboring countries stood at $14.35 billion during the period, according to the latest data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
Iraq with $2.82 billion and a share of 19.6% from the total value of exports to neighbors, the UAE with $1.63 billion and an 11.3% share, Turkey with $923.39 million and 6.4%, Afghanistan with $728.46 million and 5.1% and Pakistan with $341.39 million and 2.4% were the top five exports destinations among neighbors.
Total imports from neighboring countries in the four-month period hit $7.1 billion.
The UAE with $4.68 billion, Turkey with $1.51 billion, Russia with $429.78 million, Oman with $176.2 million and Iraq with $140.52 million were the top five exporters to Iran.
Iran’s neighboring countries are Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Oman, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Armenia, the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Iran traded 50.8 million tons of non-oil goods worth $29 billion with other countries during the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 21-July 22), indicating an increase of 21% in weight and 47% in value compared with the corresponding period of the last year.
According to Mehdi Mirashrafi, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, exports reached 38.3 million tons worth $14.3 billion, which shows year-on-year growth rates of 27% and 65% in weight and value, respectively.
Major exported goods included liquefied gas, polyethylene, semi-finished steel products, methanol, gasoline, steel ingots, liquid propane, bitumen and copper cathode.
The main export destination was China with 10 million tons of goods worth $4.3 billion.
Imports hit 12.5 million tons worth $14.5 billion, registering an increase of 5% in weight and 32% in value compared with last year’s same period, ISNA reported.
The UAE was the main exporter to Iran.