February 23, 2018 - Iran's non-oil trade during the 10 months from March 21, 2017 to January 20, 2018 stood at $80 billion, indicating a 12-percent growth compared to the figure for the same period a year ago.
This was announced by Director of Planning at Iran's Trade Promotion Organization Mohammadreza Izadian, who told IRNA on Friday, that the volume of imports and exports during the 10-month period hit 135 million tons, which shows 0.4 percent of growth against the figure for the same time-span a year ago.
Exports reached 105 million tons valued at $37 billion, indicating a two-percent decline in weight and a 1.7-percent rise in value year-on-year, the official said.
Imports amounted to 30.5 million tons worth $42.8 billion — up 10 percent in terms of weight and 22 percent in terms of value year-on-year, Izadian added.
Iranian exporters sold 22.44 million tons of petrochemical products worth $10.67 billion during the 10 months. Petrochemicals accounted for nearly 30 percent in terms of value and 23 percent in terms of weight of Iran's total exports.
Other major exported commodities during the period were gas condensates ($5.67 billion or 16 percent of total exports), liquefied propane ($1.21 billion or more than three percent of overall exports), light crude oil, excluding gasoline ($997 million or around three percent of total exports), methanol ($984 million or nearly three percent of total exports) and granulated hematite iron ore ($845 million or more than two percent of total exports).
Imports mainly included auto parts ($1.4 billion), field corn ($1.25 billion), rice ($1.02 billion), soybean ($775 million), vehicles of engine displacement between 1500cc and 2000cc, except for ambulance and hybrid cars ($683 million).
China was the main customer of Iranian products during the period, as Iran exported 28.18 million tons of commodities worth $7.42 billion to the Asian country which is 11 percent more in terms of value and five percent less in terms of weight compared to the figures for the corresponding period last year.
Exports to China account for more than 28 percent in terms of weight and around 21 percent in terms of value of Iran's total exports.
Other major export destinations of Iranian products were the UAE with 14.64 million tons of imports from Iran worth $5.13 billion (accounting for over 14 percent of Iran's total exports in terms of value and 15 percent in terms of weight), Iraq with 10.58 million tons worth $5.04 billion (accounting for more than 14 percent of Iran's total exports in terms of value and 11 percent in terms of weight) and South Korea with 8.28 million tons worth $3.41 billion (accounting for 9.5 percent of Iran's total exports in terms of value and eight percent in terms of weight).
India was the fifth biggest importer of Iranian goods during the 10-month period. The South Asian country bought 8.33 million tons of Iranian products worth $2.27 billion to constitute more than six percent of Iran's total exports in terms of value and eight percent in terms of weight.
Exports to China fell by five percent in weight and rose by 11 percent in value during the period.
Iran's exports to the UAE saw a decline of 7.5 percent in weight and 19 percent in value year-on-year.
Similarly, exports to Iraq registered a decline of more than 13 percent in weight and around one percent in value.
South Korea's imports from Iran increased both in weight and value compared to the same period of last year, registering a 39-percent rise in weight and close to 33-percent increase in value.
Exports to India increased by five percent in terms of weight and decreased by three percent in terms of value year-on-year.
Major exporters to Iran included China with 3.8 million tons worth $10.22 billion, the UAE with 4.97 million tons worth $7.78 billion, South Korea with 1.21 million tons worth $2.97 billion, Turkey with 1.54 million tons worth $2.6 billion and Germany with 714,000 tons worth $2.34 billion.
Imports from China saw a rise of more than five percent in weight and 21 percent in value during the 10-month period.
The UAE exported 18 percent more goods in terms of weight and 42 percent more in terms of value year-on-year.
Imports from South Korea saw a rise of one percent in weight and six percent in value.
Turkey's exports to Iran rose by 16 percent in weight and more than 18 percent in value during the period under review.
Iran's imports from Germany registered a decline of 15 percent in weight and an increase of 19 percent in value year-on-year.