EU-Iran Foreign Trade in the first nine month of 2019 generated 3,869 mil­li­on Euro. The 28 EU coun­­tries exported goods worth € 3,356 million Euro to Iran and imported goods worth € 476 million.  Germany was the most important EU trade partner of Iran, with a trade volume of 1,237 million Euro, fol­lowed by Italy (735 million Euro) and the Netherlands (377 million Euro).

The European Union (EU28) export of goods to Iran stood at 3,356 million Euro, a de­crea­se of 51% com­­pared with the first nine month of the year 2018.  According to the la­test da­ta by Euro­stat, the sta­tis­tical office of the European Union, 33% of the EU ex­ports to Iran ca­me from Ger­­­many, which de­­­li­ve­red goods worth €1,094 million, that was 46% less than in the first nine month of the year 2018. Second (18%) was Italy with exports worth € 615 million (-48%), fol­lowed by the Ne­ther­­­lands (€ 363 million, -40%) and France (€ 283 million, -61%). 

From January till September 2019 the 28 EU countries imported goods worth € 514 million from Iran, (a de­crea­se of 94% compared with the first nine month of 2018).  Major Iranian ex­ports to the Eu­­ro­pean Union (28%) go to Germany, which imported goods worth € 143 million from Iran (-58%), fol­­lowed by Italy (€ 119 million, -95%) and Spain (€52 million, -97%).

The latest statistics of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) show­ed that Iran’s foreign trade volume in the first seven month the current Iranian year (Mar. 21 – Oct. 22) has reached $49.580 billion. The volume of exports of non-oil goods (excluding crude oil, fuel oil and kerosene and also without considering exports out of luggage trade) in the same period  val­ued at $24.407 billion (-11%). China ($6.100 billion), Iraq ($ 5.173 billion), the United Arab Emi­rates ($ 2.784 billion), Tur­key ($2.672 billion) and Afghanistan ($ 1.283 billion) were Iran’s five major export destinations, which account­ed for $18.012 billion (74%) in total.

Iran imported goods, valued at $25.173 billion (-5%) in the first seven months of the current Ira­nian year (March 21– October 22), IRICA added. Accordingly, China ($ 6.399 billion), the Uni­ted Arab Emirates ($ 4.586 billion) Turkey ($ 3.037 billion), India ($ 2.335 billion) and Germany ($ 1.208 billion) exported over $17.565 billion (75%) worth of products to the Islamic Republic of Iran in the same period.

TEHRAN-TIMES:   The Iranian government started on Friday rationing of subsidized gasoline and in­creased fuel prices as it plans to use the revenue for supporting underprivileged fami­lies.

Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, head of the Planning and Budget Organization, said on Thursday that proceeds from the price hikes would be used to fund additional subsidies for 18 million un­der­privileged families, or about 60 million people. According to a statement published by Natio­nal Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company, the price for a liter of regular gasoline was in­crea­sed to 15,000 rials (nearly 35 cents at the official rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) from 10,000 rials and the monthly ration for each passenger car was set at 60 liters. Additional purchases would cost 30,000 rials per liter. Due to heavy subsidies and devaluation of its currency, Iran has one of the cheapest fuel prices in the world and the country has been fighting rampant fuel smuggling to neighboring countries.

In one of its latest reports dubbed “World Energy Outlook 2018”, the International Energy Agen­cy (IEA) put Iran on top of the list of the world’s countries for energy subsidies. That means Iran holds the first place among the world’s countries in terms of the amount of subsidies which is allocated to energy consumption.

Financial Tribune:   From halving public transportation fares and hiking traffic tolls by 50% in central Tehran, urban managers have resorted to last-ditch efforts to curb the air pollution choking the capital’s residents

Outdoor physical exercises in all school grades have been cancelled until Friday (Nov. 15), as the sprawling city experienced its seventh consecutive day of dangerously high air pollution levels.

In an emergency meeting held on Sunday, the Air Pollution Emergency Committee announ­ced that if the air quality deteriorates further in the following days, schools will be totally closed to minimize children's outdoor exposure, Tasnim News Agency reported. When air pollution hits an emergency level, representatives from Tehran City Council, Traffic Police, Tehran Munici­pa­li­ty and Department of Environment, along with those of interior and health ministries, convene the committee to tackle the phenomenon.

The density of toxic pollutants has been steadily increasing since the beginning of the cur­rent Iranian month (Oct. 23), reaching levels considered dangerous for vulnerable citizens, including children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with respiratory and cardiovas­cular problems, who are referred to as sensitive group.