Iran non-oil exports climb by 31%

Iran’s non-oil exports have witnessed a 31 percent growth from March to July 2010 despite sanctions, the head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization says.

Iran exported over 3,300 types of goods worth $7.7 billion to more than 160 countries in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year, which runs from March 21 to July 21, 2010, IRIB quoted Babak Afqahi as saying.

He said 40 percent of the budget required for imports has been provided via income from exporting non-oil products, adding that China, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, India and Afghanistan are the main markets of Iranian products.

On June 9, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution imposing a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

The UN resolution was followed by unilateral sanctions from the US, the EU, Australia and Canada.

Iran has dismissed as “futile” the sanctions, saying the new measures will not have the impact desired by the West.