Germany had the highest volume of trade with Iran among the 27 members of European Union in the first seven months of 2020, accounting for 41% of Iran's total exchanges with the bloc, latest statistics released by Eurostat show.
Overall trade between Iran and European states decreased by 9% to €2.64 billion during the seven months under review, €1.08 billion of which were between Iran and Germany.
Germany also recorded the highest year-on-year growth in trade with Iran among European states during the period, with 15%.
Italy was Iran's second largest partner in the green continent, though bilateral trade barely exceeds €390 million with a 29% YOY decline.
The Netherlands came third with €291 million worth of trade with Iran, which figure is 2% higher than the same period of last year.
Spain, France and Belgium followed with their Iran trade amounting to €163 million, €147 million and €131 million, Eurostat data show.
Eurostat is a directorate of the European Commission located in Luxembourg. Its main responsibilities are to provide statistical information to EU institutions and promote the harmonization of statistical methods across its member states and candidates for accession.
Organizations cooperating with Eurostat in different countries are summarized under the European Statistical System.
July figures also show that trade between Iran and 27 EU states declined by 19.58% to €411 million.
Germany was Iran's top European trading partner in July, despite a 16% YOY decline. The two countries exchanged €152.5 million worth of goods during the month under review.
Italy and Netherlands came next with their monthly Iran trade amounting to €66 million (down 31%) and €54.9 million (up 41%) respectively.
Slovakia, Sweden, the Netherlands and Ireland posted highest increases in the total value of their trade with Iran.
Finland recorded a 94% decline in monthly trade with Iran–the highest decline among European states during the month under review.
Exports Rise 4.6% to €440m
Iran's exports to the European Union member states increased by 4.67% to around €440 million during the first seven months of the current year.
Germany was the leading destination for Iranian goods during the period, importing €165.5 million worth of goods from Iran.
Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Finland posted the highest growth in total value of imports from Iran, with 1221%, 667% and 149%, respectively.
EU states collectively imported 92.27 million worth of goods from Iran in July, 52.28% higher than in July 2019.
The exported goods mainly included edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruits or melons worth €147.71 million; other nuts, fresh or dried, shelled or peeled worth €121.96 million; mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances and mineral waxes with €68.77 million; petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, and crude worth €67.33 million; plastics and articles thereof worth €34.49 million; coffee, tea, maté and spices worth €22.42 million; ginger, saffron, turmeric, thyme, bay leaves, curry and other spices worth €21.8 million; organic chemicals worth €21.42 million; polymers of ethylene, in primary forms worth €20.32 million; and pharmaceutical products worth €20.32 million.
Imports Drop 11.4% to €2.2b
During the first seven months of the year, more than €2.2 billion worth of goods were imported from EU countries to Iran, marking an 11.41% decline, compared with the same period in 2019.
More than $919 million worth of goods were imported from Germany. The figure indicates a growth of 11.6% compared with the year before.
Slovakia, Bulgaria and Luxembourg recorded the highest growth in exporting goods to Iran during the seven months, with 402%, 144% and 25% respectively.
Among Iran's major trade partners, France registered the sharpest decline in exports to the country – 37% compared with the same period of last year.
From a monthly perspective, more than €318 million worth of goods were exported to Iran from EU in July, indicating a 29.23% decline compared with €450 million in July 2019.
The imports mainly included nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances, as well as parts thereof worth €483.58 million; pharmaceutical products worth €294.09 million; cereals worth €282.73 million; optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus, parts and accessories thereof worth €224.3 million; wheat worth €201.7; and human and animal blood prepared for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses, antisera and other blood fractions and immunological products, vaccines, toxins, cultures of microorganisms (excluding yeasts) and similar products worth €139.53 million.
Other imports included medicines consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses worth €117.46; electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof, sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles worth €98.102 million; instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary science worth €88.6 million; and maize or corn worth €7602 million.
Miscellaneous chemical products worth €63.621 million; oilseeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants, straw and fodder worth €60.56 million; organic chemicals worth €59.197 million; taps, valves and similar appliances for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including pressure-reducing valves and thermostatically controlled valves; parts thereof worth €48.15 million and seeds, fruits and spores, for sowing (excluding leguminous vegetables and sweet corn), coffee, tea, maté and spices, cereals, oilseeds and seeds and fruit used primarily in perfumery, or for insecticidal, fungicidal or similar purposes worth €53.97 million were other major groups of imported products.
