TEHRAN — Non-oil exports, including gas condensates, surged 40 percent in the first six months of the current year compared to the year before, brining the value of non-oil exports to about $20.48 billion, the Customs Administration director announced here on Sunday. The current Iranian calendar year began on March 21. Abbas Me’marnejad said China is the major destination for Iranian goods in the mentioned period, followed by the UAE, Iraq, India, and Afghanistan. The exported goods weighed around 37.3 million tons which is 12.3 percent more than previous year’s figure, according to the Mehr news agency. Iran's non-oil export items mainly include gas condensates, mineral fuels, chemical products, plastics, fruits, nuts, fertilizers and carpets.
Iran also imported some 17.9 million tons of commodities (worth $29.5 billion) in the mentioned time span, showing a 25 percent and a 5.2 percent decrease in terms of weight and value, respectively.
Previously, Trade Promotion Organization chief Hamid Safdel had said the value of non-oil exports is expected to hit $43 billion in the current year and $50.5 billion in the year after. Safdel also said the government backs exporters to help increase non-oil exports. Under the government's plans, exporters have representatives in the Supreme Council for Non-Oil Exports to help remove the obstacles in the way and increase the volume of exports. Iran's non-oil exports have increased considerably in recent years.