Iran traded 38.56 million tons of goods worth $24.19 billion (excluding crude oil exports) with its 15 neighboring countries during the first half of the current Iranian year (March 21-Sept. 22) to register an 8% decline in tonnage but a 7% rise in value of exchanges compared with the similar period of last year, according to the spokesperson of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
Iranian exports (excluding crude oil) stood at 29.28 million tons worth $12.33 billion, registering a 19% decline in weight but a 10% growth in value, Rouhollah Latifi was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
Iraq was the biggest export destination among the countries under review during the period, as it imported 9.86 million tons of Iranian goods worth $3.38 billion, registering a 12% fall in value.
All changes reported below are in value terms.
Following Iraq were the UAE with 5.72 million tons worth $3.11 billion (up 39%), Turkey with 4.1 million tons worth $2.62 billion (up 14%), Afghanistan with 1.58 million worth $792 million (down 21%), Pakistan with 1.31 tons worth $561 million (up 3%), Oman with 1.54 million tons worth $542 million (up 95%), Azerbaijan with 372,000 tons worth $363 million (up 72%), Russia with 622,000 tons worth $339 million (up 25%), Turkmenistan with 631,000 tons worth $206 million (up 42%), Armenia with 426,000 tons worth $177 million (up 14%), Kuwait with 2.35 million tons worth $82 million (up 26%), Kazakhstan with 273,000 tons worth $75 million (down 6%), Qatar with 464,000 tons worth $65 million (down 13%), Bahrain with 4,847 tons worth $3.9 million (up 21%) and Saudi Arabia with 476 tons worth $246,509 (up 532%).
Imports from these neighbors to Iran during the period stood at 9.32 million tons worth $11.87 billion, registering a 14% fall in tonnage but a 4.4% increase in value compared with the corresponding period of last year.
The UAE with more than $7.2 billion topped the list of exporters to Iran, registering a 1% decrease. It was followed by Turkey with $2.68 billion (up 10%), Russia with $876 million (up 37%), Pakistan with $494 million (up 350%), Oman with $365 million (up 35%), Iraq with $90 million (down 82%), Kazakhstan with $80 million (up 148%), Qatar with $21 million (up 248%), Azerbaijan with $19.4 million (down 15%), Turkmenistan with $15.3 million (down 29%), Afghanistan with $13.1 million (up 106%), Kuwait with $5.1 million (down 27%), Armenia with $5 million (down 65%) and Bahrain with $893,000 (down 30%).
Latifi noted that Iran’s trade balance with its neighbors stood at $457 million in H1.
Iran’s total foreign trade, excluding crude oil exports, stood at 68.1 million tons worth $50.28 billion during the first six months of the current year, registering a 13.2% rise in value compared with the corresponding period of last year, according to IRICA.
Exports (excluding crude oil) stood at 51.78 million tons worth 24.25 billion, registering a 12.5% fall in terms of weight, but a 13.32% rise in value. Imports hit 16.32 million tons worth $26.03 billion, registering a 14.72% fall in terms of weight, but a 13.15% rise in value.