Iran’s non-oil exports to Iraq during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year, which started on March 20, showed a 23 percent increase in comparison with the similar period the previous year, the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad says.
Hassan Danaeifar told IRNA on Saturday that Iran and Iraq have succeeded in improving relations in all sectors, including economy, politics and tourism, during recent years.
Meanwhile, the Iranian commercial counselor in Baghdad, Ebrahim Rezazadeh, said on Saturday that Iran exported $2.460 billion worth of goods to Iraq during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year while the figure stood at $1.966 billion during the same period of the previous year.
The weight of Iran’s exports to Iraq has had a seven percent decrease which indicated a shift in the export basket of goods, particularly after a ban on Iraq’s import of cement.
Iran is currently Iraq's third trade partner after Turkey and China and supplies a majority part of Baghdad’s demands due to proximity, high quality and low price in addition to cultural and religious commonalities.
The office of the Iranian commercial counselor in Baghdad announced that Iran exported $6.2 billion worth of non-oil commodities to Iraq during the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 19).
Iranian First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri said on Tuesday that Iran’s non-oil exports during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year showed a 21 percent increase in comparison with similar period the previous year.
He said Iran exported $16.3 billion of non-oil products in the aforementioned four months.
Jahangiri added that boosting non-oil exports is among the priorities of the Islamic Republic in the current Iranian year and urged the removal of obstacles in this regard.