ICCIMA:   Iran’s annual inflation rate rose by 1.7% to 45.8% in the calendar month to March 20, according to figures by the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI).

Iran’s annual inflation rate rose by 1.7% to 45.8% in the calendar month to March 20, according to figures by the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI). SCI figures released on Sunday showed that Iran’s consumer prices index (CPI) had increased by 45% for urban households and by 50.6% for families living in rural areas of Iran in the month to late March. The annual inflation rate of 45.8% reported for March 2023 is the highest reported by the SCI since October 2021 and the second highest since Iran began to feel the impacts of US sanctions on its economy in 2019. Experts say high but controlled levels of inflation in Iran is a result of economic policies adopted by the Iranian government to reduce the country’s dependence on oil revenues, including a decision in 2022 to dismantle a system of heavy subsidies granted to basic goods imports.

The SCI delayed its publication of monthly inflation figures for March after it decided to change its baseline year of calculating price changes from 2017 to 2021. The government statistics agen­­cy on Sunday published monthly CPI figures related to the calendar month to April 20. The data showed that highest increases in consumer prices had taken place in the category of fruits and nuts in April with a rise of 15.3% and in the category of transportation costs with a 8.6% increase compared to March. The figures showed that lowest price rises in April compared to March had been reported in education services with 0.3% and dairies and eggs with 0.3%.

Eurostat: EU27-Iran foreign trade from January to February 2023 generated 761 million Euro. The 27 EU coun­tries exported goods worth € 622 million Euro (-7%) to Iran and imported goods worth € 139 million (-17%). Germany was the most important EU trade partner of Iran, with a trade volume of 243 million Euro, followed by Italy (109 million Euro) and the Netherlands (101 million Euro).

The European Union (EU27) export of goods to Iran in January to February 2023 stood at 622 mil­lion Euro, a decrease of 7% compared to the first two month of the year 2022. According to the latest data by Eurostat, the sta­tis­tical office of the European Union, 32% of the EU exports to Iran came from Germany that de­livered goods worth 197 million Euro, that was 24% less than in January-February 2022. Second (15%) were the Netherlands with exports worth 94 million Euro (+76%), followed by Italy (84 million Euro, +23%), France (43 million Euro, +35%) and Belgium (41 million Euro, +11%).

From January to February 2023 the 27 EU countries imported goods worth 139 million Euro from Iran (-17%). Most of the Iranian exports to the European Union (33%) came from Germany, which imported goods worth 46 million Euro from Iran (-20%), followed by Italy (25 million Euro, -11%), Belgium (14 million Euro, +35%) and Spain (13 million Euro, -29%).

Financial Tribune:   SAIPA Automotive Group has imported a total of 1,108 cars produced by Changan Automotive Company in its first shipment, which will be delivered to custo­mers next month

SAIPA Automotive Group has imported its first shipment of cars that will be delivered to custo­mers in the coming weeks. The domestic automaker imported a total of 1,108 cars produced by Changan Automotive Company, according to the manager of the Car Import Project of the Mi­nis­try of Industries, Mining and Trade. “With the efforts of the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade and related organizations, SAIPA imported its first series of imported cars after five years, which have been cleared from the Aprin Customs Office,” Mehdi Zeighami was also quoted as say­ing by Khabar Khodro. The official stated that due to the problems caused by the car import laws that were devised be­fore the reimposition of international sanctions, the clearance of imported cars faced many hur­dles.

The latest statistics of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) shows that Iran’s foreign trade volume in the year 1401 (Mar. 21 – Mar. 20 2023) has reached 112.821 billion US-Dollar, that is 12% more than in the Iranian year 1400.

The export volume of non-oil goods (excluding crude oil, fuel oil and kerosene and also without considering exports of luggage trade) in the year 1401 val­ued at 53.166 billion US-Dollar (+10%). China ($ 14,584 million), Iraq ($10,238 million), Turkey ($ 7,459 million), the United Arab Emirates ($ 5,767 million) and India ($ 2,146 million) were Iran’s five major export destinations, which ac­coun­ted for 76% in total.

Iran imported goods valued at 59.655 billion US-Dollar (+13%) in the year 1401. Accordingly, the United Arab Emirates ($ 18,395 million), China ($ 15,744 million), Turkey ($ 6,099 million), India ($ 2,850 million) and Germany ($ 2.019 million) together exported 76% of the goods imported by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the year 1401.