TEHRAN- The value of exports from Iran’s southeastern Kerman Province increased 34 percent during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-November 20), compared to the same period of time in the past year, according to a provincial official.

Mohammadreza Qader, the director-general of the province’s customs department, announced that Kerman has exported over 265,000 tons of commodities worth more than $613 million during the eight-month period.

The official also said that the export has risen three percent in terms of weight in the mentioned time span, and mentioned pistachios and pistachio kernels, copper products, fresh and dried dates, sugar, and ceramic tiles as the major exported products.

He further announced that 29,806 tons of commodities worth $213 million have been imported to the province in the first eight months of the present year, indicating 34 percent, and 48 percent drop in terms of value and weight, respectively.

Qader mentioned auto parts and components, modem components and parts, industrial and electrical appliances, other industrial and mechanical appliances and machines as the main imported products.

As announced by the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), the value of Iran’s non-oil trade during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year reached $44.6 billion.

Mehdi Mirashrafi has said that in the mentioned eight months, Iran imported $23.1 billion worth of goods, while the exports stood at $21.5 billion.

The total volume of traded goods was estimated at about 97.7 million tons, of which over 75 million tons were related to exports and about 21.8 million tons were imported goods.

According to Mirashrafi, the imports in the said period declined one percent and 18 percent in terms of weight and value, respectively.

The exports also experienced a fall of 14 percent and 19 percent in terms of weight and value, respectively.

Noting the downward trend of the country’s foreign trade is ending and the trade is getting back to normal, the official said: "As we announced in previous months, fortunately, the downward trend of our country's exports is approaching normal conditions month by month, and we hope to have better conditions in terms of exports by the end of the year."

Iran's top five non-oil export destinations during this period were Iraq with over $5.3 billion worth of exports, China with the same amount, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with over $2.7 billion, and Turkey with $1.6 billion as well as Afghanistan with $1.5 billion.

According to the IRICA head, the top five sources of imports during this period were China with $6 billion, the UAE with $5.4 billion, Turkey with $2.6 billion, India with $1.4 billion, and Germany with $1.1 billion worth of imports.

Most of the imported goods into the country in the mentioned time span were basic goods or raw materials, Mirashrafi stressed.

MA/MA