Trade between Iran and African countries reached 1.51 million tons worth $650.22 million during the first seven months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Oct. 22).
As per the data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, Iran exported 1.47 million tons worth $620.2 million worth of goods to the African continent during the period while imports amounted to 36,164 worth $30.02 million.
Iran’s main export destinations in Africa were Ghana with 423,191 tons worth $252.52 million, South Africa with 337,744 tons worth $105.33 million and Algeria with 95,360 tons worth $66.58 million.
Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Guinea, Libya, Morocco, Mali, Macao, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Senegal, Somalia, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Rwanda were other customers of Iranian goods.
Tanzania topped the list of African countries in terms of exports to Iran during the seven months under review, as a total of 24,022 tons worth $38.2 million worth of goods were imported from Tanzania to Iran.
Ethiopia came next with 6,154 tons worth $3.57 million, followed by Ghana with 2,481 tons worth $4.61 million and Kenya with 868.34 tons worth $3.24 million.
In fact, Ghana was Iran's largest African trade partner during the seven-month period, with bilateral trade standing at 425,672 tons worth $257.13 million.
With 54 countries, Africa is the second largest continent with a population of around 1.3 billion and has a higher economic growth compared to the world average.
According to Farzad Piltan, director general of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran's Arab and African Countries Department, Iran exported $580 million worth of goods to Africa in the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2021).
Ghana, Algeria, Kenya, South Africa, Somalia, Tanzania, Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria and Ivory Coast were the main export destinations.
Steel and iron semi-finished products and ingots, urea, rebar, cement, raisins, food pastes, sweets, chocolate, biscuits, pistachios and floor coverings were the main goods exported to Africa.
Iran’s fiscal 2020-21 imports from Africa stood at $96 million. The imported goods mainly included feed corn, manganese ore and concentrate, tobacco, tea, tuna, mining machinery and equipment, essence and herbs, zinc ore and fruit seeds.
Swaziland, Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco and Sudan were the main exporters to Iran.
Iran’s exports to African countries registered an 8% and 14% decline in tonnage and value respectively compared with the previous fiscal year, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.