TEHRAN- As announced by a provincial official, the value of exports from Iran’s northern Gilan province rose 24 percent during the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (Marc 21-June 21), as compared to the first quarter of the previous year.

Farhad Dalqpoush, the head of Gilan’s Industry, Mining, and Trade Department, said that 241,599 tons of products worth over $146 million was exported from the province in the three-month period of this year, indicating also three percent growth in terms of weight.

The official named vegetable products, minerals and related products, chemical products, plastics and foodstuffs as the main exported commodities, and Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, and Belarus as the major export destinations of the products in the first quarter.

Expressing satisfaction with the favorable trend of non-oil exports and the determination of Gilan traders, he said: “Despite oppressive sanctions and intensifying economic pressures, trade with various countries is increasing and based on the province’s $750-million export target for this year, the non-oil export working group of Gilan will follow up and monitor related programs.”

The head of Gilan’s Industry, Mining, and Trade Department further announced that 423,140 tons of basic commodities valued at over $275.7 million were imported to the province in the first quarter of the present year, showing 38 percent rise in terms of value, while one percent drop in terms of weight, as compared to the same period of time in the past year.

He mentioned cereals (barley and livestock corn) and meat and oil, wood, boards and chemical products, paper, cardboard, wood pulp, machinery and its accessories and parts as the main imported items, and Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ukraine, Turkey, and Ecuador as the major sources of imports in the mentioned time span.

Also, during the first three months of this year, 27 tons of goods worth $106,880 were exported through suitcase trade from Gilan customs, indicating 82 percent drop year on year, the official added.

Gilan province, with its Anzali Free Trade Zone and Astara Port Special Economic Zone, as well as its land border with Azerbaijan, was a platform for more than $664 million in exports in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), with an increase of about 29 percent over its previous year.

As announced by the head of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), the value of Iran’s non-oil exports reached $10.7 billion in the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year, up 69 percent compared to the last year’s same period.

According to Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi, Iran exported 30 million tons of non-oil commodities in the mentioned three months, registering a 38-percent rise compared to the figure for the last year’s Q1.

Meanwhile, some 8.4 million tons of goods valued at $10.2 billion were also imported into the country in the said period to register a 34-percent rise in terms of value compared to the last year’s same quarter.

In total, the Islamic Republic traded 38.4 million tons of non-oil goods worth $20.9 billion with its trade partners in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year, up 25 percent and 50 percent in terms of weight and value, respectively, Mir-Ashrafi said.

According to the official, the country’s trade balance was $476 million positive in the mentioned time span.

Iran’s top five non-oil export destinations during this period were China with $3.1 billion worth of exports, Iraq with $2.3 billion, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with over $1.3 billion, Turkey with $595 million, and Afghanistan with $570 million.

Meanwhile, the country’s top five sources of imports during these two months were the UAE with $3.2 billion, China with $2.2 billion, Turkey with $1 billion, Germany with $414 million, and Switzerland with $384 million worth of imports.

The official also noted that over 2.742 million tons of goods were transited through Iran in the said period, registering a 121-percent rise compared to the same period in the previous year.

The value of Iran’s non-oil trade stood at $73 billion in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20).

According to Mir-Ashrafi, Iran’s non-oil export was 112 million tons valued at $34.5 billion, while that of import was 34.4 million tons worth $38.5 billion in the past year, the official added.

MA/MA