Iran imported 13.96 million tons worth $18.89 billion during the first five months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Aug. 22), down 5.82% in weight and 9.66% in value over last year’s similar period, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration announced.
IRICA's data show the top 10 imported commodities during the five months in terms of value were, in a descending order, auto parts, rice, field corn, soybean, graphite electrodes, cellphones, nuclear reactor parts, bananas, barley and oilcake derived from soybean oil.
A total of 198,462 tons of auto parts (excluding tires) worth $1.69 billion were imported to Iran during the period, more than any other commodity shipped into the country in terms of value.
The import value had a 4.67% share in the total value of Iran's non-oil imports during the period.
Rice was the second biggest commodity imported in the period with 841,127 tons worth $864.85 million. Its value had a 4.57% share in the total value of Iran's non-oil imports.
India and Pakistan are the main exporters of rice to Iran.
Iranians consume 3.2 million tons of rice a year while domestic production stands at around 2.2 million tons.
These were followed by field corn with 3.54 million tons worth $814.18 million (4.31% of overall non-oil imports); soybeans with 1.22 million tons worth $595.32 million (3.3%); graphite electrodes with 43,965 tons worth $246.09 million (1.3%); cellphones with 475 tons worth $239.79 million (1.26%); nuclear reactor parts with 805 tons worth $201.97 million (1.06%); bananas with 209,664 tons worth $200.09 million (1.05%); barley with 917,628 tons worth $197.69 million (1.04%); and oilcake derived from soybean oil with 425,117 tons worth $185.19 million (0.98%).
Major exporters to Iran during the period, according to IRICA, included China with $4.83 billion, the UAE with $2.66 billion, South Korea with $1.25 billion, India with $1.2 billion and Germany with $969 million.
Imports from China saw a 2.66% increase while imports from the UAE, South Korea, India and Germany decreased by 28.95%, 14.55%, 7.7% and 15.4% respectively.
The average price of each ton of imported commodities hovered around $1,353, down 4.11% compared with last year’s corresponding period.
The Iranian government has banned the imports of hundreds of commodities categorized as “non-essential goods with equivalents made at home” since June to economize on foreign currency.
The long list of import ban includes cars, refrigerators and freezers, automatic folding cabin doors of elevators, farm tractors, milk powder, ambulances, range hoods, stoves, ovens, tea- and coffee-makers, cameras, musical instruments and auto parts, among others.