Iran’s two-month non-oil exports up 32 percent year on year

TEHRAN,May 28(MNA) - Iran’s non-oil exports (excluding gas condensates and petrochemicals) grew by 32.6 percent in the first two months of the current calendar year (March 20-May 20), the IRNA News Agency quoted the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran deputy director as saying, without giving a specific figure on the value of exports. Kiyumars Fathollah Kermanshahi added that non-oil exports are projected to hit $75 billion in the current calendar year. Iran has scaled up its trade with 160 countries in the past calendar year, which ended on March 19, despite being embattled with global economic sanctions, the head of the Customs Administration said in April. Abbas Memarnejad said the non-oil trade balance decreased to $17.9 billion last year from $30.5 billion the year before. He added that exports rose by 28 percent year on year, while imports fell by four percent. Iran exported $43.7 billion worth of non-oil goods last year and imported $61.8 billion worth of goods, to hit the unprecedented mark of $105 billion in annual trade. On March 16, the TPOI director Hamid Safdel said Iran’s main non-oil exports were gas condensates, petrochemical products and engineering services, amounting to $9 billion, $13 billion, and $4 billion respectively. Other exports, including carpets, handicrafts and agricultural goods such as nuts, were valued at around $17 billion.