SARI, Mazandaran Province -- Head of Mazandaran Province Industries and Mines Department Seyed Ahmad Vaqefi said here on Sunday that the war in Iraq has left its negative impact on the export of provincial industrial goods.

Speaking at a meeting of the provincial export promotion group, he declared that $26.85 million worth of commodities including minerals and manufactured goods had been exported in the past Iranian year (ended March 20, 2003), which shows a 38 percent boost over the previous year.

He reiterated that the goods exported over an 11-month period in the past year showed a 47 percent rise and that once the Iraqi war broke out the growing trend of export faced a drop. "Around $16.795 worth of industrial goods were exported from Mazandaran Province two years ago."

"The industrial goods were exported to Armenia, Azerbaijan Republic, Iraq, the Netherlands, India, France, Sweden, etc.," he told IRNA.

Referring to the growing trend of provincial export, he stressed that the good export potential in Mazandaran needs planning.

The exported goods include various lighting, fluorine, liquid and solid oil, soap, vehicle floor-mat, steel cast pieces, soya protein, cola beverages, machine-woven carpet, floating paper and various aluminum profiles. Over 2,800 industrial production units are currently operational across the province.