Publish Date: 1 August 2022 - 10:00

TEHRAN, Aug. 01 (MNA) – The non-oil trade has witnessed an economic boom since the 13th government under President Raeisi took office in Iran.

The Iranian 13th administration under President Ebrahim Raeisi took office in mid-August 2021.

The Spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Seyyed Rouhollah Latifi said that the non-oil trade since the 13th government under President Raeisi assumed office reached $84 billion.

He noted since the 13th government came to power in Iran, the country's non-oil trade reached around 126, 877 million tons of goods valued at 83,971 billion dollars, indicating an increase by 8% in weight and 36% in value compared to the same period the previous year.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi, in his first Nowruz message, pointed to the emerging signs of economic growth and stability as well as a significant increase in the volume of foreign trade and non-oil exports under his administration, saying, “We increased trade with our neighbors for the benefit of the people.”

“We said that we will set the production wheel in motion, [and] official statistics, released up to the end of the third quarter even show that economic growth has reached above 5%,” Iran's chief executive said.

President Raeisi had earlier emphasized the adoption of appropriate and practical strategies for promoting and booming non-oil exports at the Government Economic Coordination Headquarters, adding that effective steps should be taken to return exports currency of exporters into the economy of the country by the adoption of practical policies and measures as well as offering incentive packages to spur development of non-oil exports.

Emphasizing the need for taking appropriate strategies for the removal of existing obstacles facing the activity of exporters and facilitating their activity, he reiterated, “Suitable ways should be paved for strengthening export of non-oil goods with the removal of obstacles and difficulties facing activity of exporters.”

The Spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Seyyed Rouhollah Latifi has said that the country has traded 12.34 million tons of non-oil goods worth 9.86 billion dollars with the 11 member states of SCO in the spring of 2022 (Q2).

Iran was granted long-awaited permanent membership of the SCO last year and is now completing formalities to make it official.

Iran has exported 10.213 million tons of goods worth 5.5 billion dollars to the SCO members in this period, which shows a 20 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

China was Iran’s top export destination in this period among SCO members and India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Mongolia were the next places.

China was also the top exporter to Iran, followed by India, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia.

Latifi said that 3,070,000 tons of non-oil goods, valued at $1.737 billion, were exported to neighboring Turkey in the first three months of the current year.

He stated that Iran’s export of products to Turkey from March 21 to June 22 registered a 363 and 192 percent hike in weight and value respectively as compared to the same period of last year.

At the threshold of the Turkish President’s visit to Iran, he said that Iran’s export of non-oil products to neighboring Turkey increased considerably last year (ended March 20, 2022) and this growth in export has still continued.

About 19,500,000 tons of non-oil goods, valued at $11.4 billion, were exchanged between Iran and Turkey last year in 2021, showing a 73 and 64 percent growth in weight and value respectively as compared to the last year’s corresponding period, Latifi emphasized.

Of total goods exchanged between the two countries last year, Iran exported 15.7 million tons, valued at $6.1 billion, to Turkey, he noted.

IRICA spokesman highlighted that Turkey has always been ranked among Iran’s first four trade partners in terms of imports and exports in a way that 12 and 11 percent of the country’s total weight and value of trade done with the world related to Turkey.  

Livestock products, fisheries, dairy products, plants and flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, dried nuts, saffron, food products, tobacco, cigarettes, construction materials, minerals, petro-refinery products, home appliances, cosmetics, industrial products, and footwear were of the main products exported from Iran to neighboring Turkey, IRICA spokesman added.

Also, Latifi underscored that over 1,014,000 tons of non-oil goods, valued at $300 million, were exchanged between Iran and Turkmenistan during the current administration.

He stated that Iran’s export of products to Turkmenistan registered a significant 79.4 percent growth since the 13th government assumed office in August 2021.

He put Iran’s non-oil trade with this country since the outset of the current administration i.e. from August 23, 2021, to May 21, 2022, at 1,014,474 tons, valued at $299,728,535, showing a 22.4 and 79.4 percent hike in weight and value respectively as compared to the same period of last year.  

The export share of Iranian goods from this non-oil trade hit 987,755 tons, valued at $276,637,000, recording a 16 and 89 percent growth in weight and value respectively, Latifi added.

Dairies, agricultural and horticultural products, fresh fruits and vegetables, dried nuts, foodstuff, confections and chocolate, construction materials, minerals, detergents, cosmetics, industries lubricants, bitumen, oil derivatives, petrochemical products, home appliances, clothing and handicrafts were of the main products exported from Iran to Turkmenistan in this period, IRICA spokesman added.

Elsewhere, Latifi noted that Iran’s volume of trade exchanged with the Sultanate of Oman registered a 53 percent hike last year (ended March 20, 2022).

He highlighted that 4,190,000 tons of non-oil goods, valued at $1,335,500,000, were exchanged between the two countries of Iran and Oman in 1400, showing a 27 and 53 percent hike in weight and value respectively.

Turning to non-oil trade exchange between the two countries of Iran and Oman at the threshold of the visit of Iranian President Raeisi to Oman, he put the share of products exported from Iran to the Sultanate of Oman in this period at 2,283,000 tons, valued at $716 million.

Iran’s export of products to Oman in this period registered a 14 and 63 percent hike in weight and value respectively, Latifi highlighted.

He pointed to bitumen, urea, ferrous products, fresh fruits and vegetables, construction materials, dried nuts, foodstuff, confections, chocolates, and home appliances as the main products exported from Iran to Oman last year.

Latifi underscored that the country's export of products to Poland recorded 114% growth in the previous Iranian calendar year in 1400.

More than 22,664 tons of non-oil goods, valued at $53.198 million, were exchanged between Iran and Poland last year in 1400 (from March 21, 2021, to March 22, 2022), showing a 79 and 28 percent growth in terms of weight and value respectively as compared to the last year’s corresponding period, IRICA spokesman added.

According to statistics, Iran exported more than 18,134 tons of products, valued at $24,059,957, to Poland, registering a 145 and 114 percent hike in terms of weight and value respectively, he highlighted.

Chemicals, dried grapes, fruit juices, nuts, melamine, dates, fabrics, auto parts, mirrors and glass, food supplements, herbal extracts, fresh fruits and vegetables, flooring, iron bars, barberry, wire, etc. were the main products exported from Iran to Poland in this period, Latifi noted.

A spokesman for the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) said that country’s trade with Tajikistan in the last Iranian 1400 (ended March 20, 2022) showed a 453% growth as compared to the same period of last year.

Seyyed Rouhollah Latifi underscored that Iran’s trade value with Tajikistan in the past year exceeded $131 million, registering a considerable 453 percent growth as compared to the last year’s corresponding period.  

Iran and Tajikistan exchanged 139,249 tons of non-oil products, valued at $131,038,584, last year (from March 21, 2021, to March 20, 2022), showing a 489 and 453 percent hike in terms of weight and value respectively as compared to the same period of last year, he opined.

He reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran exported 124,737 tons of products, valued at $91,600,929, to the Republic of Tajikistan, recording a 535 and 459 percent growth in terms of weight and value respectively as compared to the last year’s corresponding period.

Construction materials, agricultural products, foodstuff, various vaccines and medicines, detergents, shoes, clothes, glass tableware, electronic tools, toys, etc. have been among Iran’s exports to Tajikistan, IRICA spokesman added.

Iran's Deputy Minister of Economy said that the country's non-oil foreign trade during the past Iranian year has reached $100 billion, indicating an increase of 38% compared to last year.

Alireza Moghadasi, Deputy Minister of Economy and Director General of Iran's Customs Administration (IRICA), also stated that 62 million tons of goods were exchanged between Iran and other countries from across the world during the Year 1400 (from March 21, 2021, to March 20, 2022).

122 million tons of Iranian goods worth $48 billion were exported to all parts of the world in 1400, which shows an increase of 41% compared to the last year, Moghadasi said.

China, Iraq, Turkey, UAE, and Afghanistan were the five main destinations for Iranian exports, according to him.

Moghadasi also noted that the number of foreign goods passing through Iranian borders in 1400, after 7 years, reached 12.5 million tons, showing a growth of 68%.

The Head of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI) Alireza Payman-Pak said that country’s non-oil export has increased 40 percent in the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year in 1401 (from March 21 to June 22).

Payman-Pak put the country’s balance of trade at $600 million, showing that Iran’s export of products exceeded imports in this period.

The Head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry for Western and Central African Affairs said that Iran’s export of products to the African continent last year in 1400 (from March 21, 2021, to March 20, 2022) registered a 120% growth.

Ali Akbar Rezaei said in a seminar entitled “Reviewing the Opportunities in Senegal Market”, which was held through videoconference between the Iranian Ambassador to Senegal and representatives of a number of manufacturers in the Alborz province, stated that West Africa has a population of about 1.4 million which is a good hub for investing and promoting exports of products of Iran to the African country.

The Islamic Republic of Iran exported $1.2 billion worth of non-oil products to African countries last year, showing a 120% growth as compared to the same period last year.

More than 20 countries including Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mali, and Guinea are located in West Africa and have good potential and capacities in their trade relations with other countries, he emphasized.

Report by Amin Mohammadzadegan Khoyi