Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) hosted a gathering of government officials and private sector businessmen to mark the 24th National Export Day ceremony on Monday.
Top officials attending the annual event included First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Ali Reza Razmhosseini, Chairman of Majlis Industries and Mines Commission Ezatollah Akbari, and Chairman of Majlis Economic Commission Mohammad Reza Purebrahimi.
Addressing the ceremony, ICCIMA President Gholam Hossein Shafei said that exports are considered to be the driving force of every country’s economic growth. He asked for better presence of Iran in the global markets adding that this would result in better provision of the country’s security in the world.
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ICCIMA President Gholam Hossein Shafei addresses the event
“When goods do not cross borders, soldiers will,” ICCIMA president quoted the French economist Claude-Frédéric Bastiat adding that Iran’s private sector was endeavoring to increase the country’s capacities in trade despite coping with “unjust” US sanctions.
Iran's private sector has managed to keep the economy afloat despite US sanctions, Shafei said, adding that there is no doubt that Iran would overcoming the challenges.
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Neighbors, Iran’s top priority for exports
Iran’s top priority in exports is its 15 neighboring countries along with India and China, Hamid Zadboum, the head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, said in a speech at the event.
He said that Iran’s neighbors accounted for 70% of the country’s total exports during the first half of the current Iranian year (March 20-Sept. 21) adding that Iran’s exports to its countries stood at $24 billion over the mentioned period.
The official said that Iran’s exports to its 15 neighbors, namely the UAE, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Oman, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, had the potential to reach $125 billion per year.
Iran Chamber of Commerce announced top exporters
Top exporting companies for the previous Iranian year (March 20, 2019 – March 19, 2020) were hailed at the ceremony. The companies for the first time were selected through a process managed by the ICCIMA which is the main private sector advocacy group in Iran.
In 2019-20, non-oil exports totaled $41.3 billion, exceeding oil exports for the first time in Iran’s modern history.
Around half of Iran’s non-oil exports were reportedly in manufactured goods, meaning that Iran’s factories earned more than double what the country’s oil rigs earned in export revenue last year.
