Iran's Non-Oil Exports to Exceed $50bln by Yearend
TEHRAN (FNA)- An Iranian economic official expressed pleasure in the eye-catching growth in Iran's non-oil exports, and said that the volume of the country's non-oil exports is slated to surpass $50bln by the end of the current Iranian year (ends March 20).
"A total of 2,000 export agencies do export work in the country and by the yearend the (non-oil) export will exceed $50bln," Head of the Exports Commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Asadollah Asgaroladi said on Sunday.
In similar remarks last month, Iranian Economy Minister Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini also expressed pleasure in the eye-catching growth of Iran's non-oil exports, and mentioned that the country's exports to the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states have increased by nearly one third.
"Iran's non-oil exports to ECO member states increased by 17 percent in weight and 32 percent in value in the first eight months of the current Iranian year (March 20-November 20) compared with last year's corresponding period," Hosseini said, addressing a meeting in Tehran.
He noted that ECO is a large regional organization which accounts for 5 percent of the world's area and 6 percent of the global population.
"We have exported more than 7.68mln tons of non-oil goods worth $2bln to ECO countries," Hosseini said.
In December, Head of Iran's Customs Office Abbas Me'marnejad said that the value of Iran's non-oil trade with the outside world exceeded $71bln during the first nine months of the current Iranian year (March 20 - December 20).
Speaking to FNA, Me'marnejad said Iran exported about $31 billion worth of non-oil goods and imported approximately $40.2 billion worth of non-oil products in the said period.
Iron and steel ingots, wheat, corn fodder, and soybean meal were the main commodities imported, while liquefied propane, urea, and cement were the main goods exported, the official said.
Me'marnejad also said that Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, and India were the main importers of Iranian non-oil goods.
Senior Iranian officials underlined Tehran's intention to further reduce its dependence on oil revenues, and said the country is exporting its non-oil products to over 151 world states now.
Fars News Agency :: Official: Iran's Non-Oil Exports to Exceed $50bln by Yearend