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PayvandNews – Iran’s foreign trade volume reached 87.614 billion dollars in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 21) with the share of exports standing at 43.930 billion dollars. Iranians imported 43.684 billion dollars of goods in the meantime for the country to enjoy a slight trade surplus.
cartoon by Salman Taheri, Iranian daily Shahrvand
The overall trade volume of 87.614 billion dollars last year was 4.34 per cent worth 3.436 billion dollars larger than the figure for the earlier year. The volume of foreign trade two years ago had only hit 83.968 billion dollars. The figures indicate that Iran experienced favorable balance for the second consecutive year as the country’s non-oil exports were $246mn larger than overall imports.
What’s more, the volume of commercial operations in customs across the country climbed to 163.47 million tons in the previous year revealing that customs formalities grew by 23.988 million tons in weight bringing about 26.3% increased workload I customs. The volume of customs operations stood at 129 million and 59 thousand tons two years ago.
Over twelve months of last Iranian year (2016-2017), non-oil exports brought $43.930bn in foreign currency showing a 3.54% growth as compared to the year before that.
Also, Iran’s imports rose by 5.16 per cent reaching 43.684 billion dollars in the meantime.
In terms of tonnage, Iran imported an aggregate total of 33.399 million tons of goods last year while 129.648 million tons were exported.
Last year petrochemical sector had a good record in exports by a nine-percent growth and realizing a total volume of 14.340 billion dollars. Iran’s petrochemical exports was $13.134bn two years ago. The export value of gas condensate also improved by 56% last year and recorded the best performance by hitting 7.320 million dollars though a total decline of 10 percent was felt in exports of other goods.
Main exportable items during the past year respectively included gas condensates worth $7.320bn, light oil products excluding gasoline worth $2.479bn, liquefied natural gas $2.79bn, liquefied propane $1.222bn and liquefied petroleum gases and gaseous hydrocarbons worth one billion and 204 million dollars. Average price of each ton of exported goods was $339 which was 25% more expensive than the figure for two years ago.
Major imported items in the same time comprised livestock corn worth one billion and 413 million dollars, soybeans worth $909mn, motor vehicles with cylinder capacity of 1,500 to 2,000 cc worth $893mn, CKD parts for automobile production worth $782mn as well as rice worth 690 million dollars. However, the average value per ton of imported goods rose to 1308 dollars which was 10.66% higher than the rate for two years ago showing the willingness of Iranian businessmen to import goods with lower volumes and higher values.
Key importers of Iranian goods in the meantime were China with $8.377bn, the United Arab Emirates with $7.436bn, Iraq $6.111bn, Turkey with $3.244bn and the Republic of Korea with 2 billion and 877 million dollars. Iran’s non-oil exports to China, the United Arabic Emirates, Iraq and the Korean Republic grew by 9, 3, 2 and 3.5 per cent, respectively.
Main exporters of goods to Iran were China with $10.753bn dollars, the UAE Arabic with $6.407bn, South Korea with $3.460bn, Turkey with $2.738bn and Germany with 2.537 billion dollars. Iran’s imports from China, the UAE, South Korea, Turkey and Germany increased by 2.6, 17.5, 6, 8.3 and 29.2 percent respectively.
