BUSHEHR Some 632,394 tons of non-oil commodities, worth $78.496 million, were exported from various ports in this southern province in the first 10 months of the current Iranian calendar year of 1379 (started March 20), provincial director general of the customs offices, Foroud Asgari said here on Sunday.

According to the official, the exported items show a fall of two percent in terms of weight but a rise of 31 percent in terms of value, both compared to corresponding figures last year.

Peas, apples and automobile tires were main commodities which were exported to Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore, Bahrain, China, Spain and Oman, Asgari pointed out.

In the same period some 303,000 tons of goods, worth $154.967, were imported via the customs offices in the province, the official said, adding that the imported items show decreases of 16 and 38 percent in terms of weight and value, respectively.

Rice, sugar, foodstuff, spare parts and fertilizers were major imported commodities, Asgari added.

According to the official, the ports of Bushehr, Genaveh, Kangan, Rig and Delvar handled the largest share of imported commodities, respectively.

The official further said that in the April-January period, 952 consignments of smuggled goods, worth Rls.18.208 billion, were confiscated by provincial customs officers which show a rise of 3.8 percent compared to the corresponding figure last year.

In the same period the customs offices handled exit of 14,619 of passengers traveling abroad as well as entry of 22,413 passengers arriving in the province, the provincial head of the customs offices added.

Currently the U.S. dollar exchange rate against the national Iranian currency in the unofficial open market is around 8,000 rials.

(IRNA)