Official: Iran’s Trade Exchanges Hit $73bln in 9 Months

The volume of Iran’s trade transactions with 150 countries has reached $73bln in the first nine months of the current Iranian year (March 20-November 21), a senior trade official announced.

Deputy Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization Kioumars Fathollah Kermanshahi said on Wednesday that volume of Iran’s foreign trade stood at over $73 billion in the first nine months of the current Iranian year.

Imports to the country were valued at $42 billion in the mentioned period registering an 8-percent decline in comparison to the corresponding period last year, he said.

Iran’s exports stood at $32 billion in the period registering a 1.44 percent decline, he said.

Export of oil products registered a 28 percent growth in the mentioned period which indicated ineffectiveness of sanctions, he said.

Earlier, Kermanshahi had said the country’s non-oil exports stood at $25bln during March 20-October 21.

“According to the latest figures released, the volume of Iran’s non-oil exports stood at $25bln for the past seven months up from $21bln for the first half of the current Iranian year (March 20- September 21),” he said in Isfahan late October.

He said the volume of the country’s non-oil exports is due to exceed $50bln by the end of the current Iranian year (ends March 20, 2013).

Iranian officials have underlined that the country plans to increase its non-oil exports to over $70bln in the current Iranian year.