TEHRAN- As announced by a provincial official, the value of exports from Isfahan province rose by 3.5 folds in the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-April 20), as compared to the first month of the previous year.

Rasoul Kouhestani, the director-general of the province’s customs department, said that 175 million tons of commodities worth $123 million were exported from the province in the mentioned month, which indicates also a 201-percent growth in terms of weight.

He mentioned products such as iron, steel, and carpet, as well as petrochemical, chemical, organic and dairy products as the main exported goods.

The official further stated that Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Afghanistan, and Indonesia were the major export destinations of the products.

As he previously announced, over 6.19 million tons of products worth $2.072 billion were exported from Isfahan province in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20).

Kouhestani said the annual export from the province shows 21 percent drop in terms of value, and 16 percent fall in terms of weight.

The official named steel, petrochemical products, and carpet as the major exported products, and Iraq, China, UAE, Afghanistan, and Indonesia as the main export markets of the products in the past year.

Iran exported 8.302 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $2.968 billion in the first month of the current Iranian calendar year, registering an 80 percent rise in terms of value compared to the same period in the previous year.

According to the Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi, the country’s non-oil exports in the said period also increased by 56 percent in terms of weight.

Iran traded 10.343 million tons of non-oil goods worth $5.762 billion with its trade partners in the mentioned month, Mir-Ashrafi stated.

The country’s trade balance was $174 million positive in the said month, according to the official.

China, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, and Afghanistan were the Islamic Republic’s top export destinations in the period under review.

Mir-Ashrafi noted that gasoline was the top exported item in the mentioned month.

According to the official, Iran also imported 2.041 million tons of goods worth $2.794 billion in the said month, which indicated an 18 percent decrease in terms of weight and a 47 percent increase in terms of value.

Mobile phones, sunflower oil, wheat, rice, and meal were the top imported items of the country during the mentioned period.

The UAE, China, Turkey, India, and Russia were Iran’s top five import sources in the mentioned month.

The value of Iran’s non-oil trade stood at $73 billion in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20).

According to Mir-Ashrafi, Iran’s non-oil export was 112 million tons valued at $34.5 billion, while that of import was 34.4 million tons worth $38.5 billion in the past year, the official added.

MA/MA