Products of the industrial sector top the list of Iran’s non-oil exports in the first half of the current Iranian year (started March 21), whereas exports of carpets and handicrafts stand at the bottom of the list, the latest figures released by Trade Promotion Organization of Iran show.
Total non-oil exports stood at 47.163 million tons worth $20.494 billion during the six months, of which industrial goods accounted for 15.37 million tons worth $7.163 billion. These constituted 35% of total non-oil exports and registered a 10% decline in terms of weight and a 2% drop in terms of value compared to the corresponding period of last year, Donya-e-Eqtesad reported.
Exports of 12.195 million tons worth $7.128 billion of petrochemicals constituted 34.7% of the total value of non-oil exports, indicating a 36% rise in weight, but a 2% fall in terms of value over last year.
Also, exports of 9.241 million tons of gas condensates worth $4.26 billion constituted 19.6% of the total non-oil export value, showing a decline of 2% and 40% in terms of weight and value respectively.
Exports of 1.794 million tons of agricultural products worth $1.636 billion accounted for 8% of the total non-oil exports value to register a 13% fall in weight and 8% decline in value.
Exports of 8.558 million tons of minerals worth $409 million accounted for 1.9% of non-oil export value, posting a decline of 32% in weight and 49% in value.
Carpets and handicrafts had the lowest share of non-oil exports with 0.6%. Around 5,000 tons of carpets and handicrafts worth $132 million were exported in the period, sliding 34% in weight and 17% in value compared to the same period of last year.
> Asian Countries Top Trading Partners
Asian countries were the top export destinations for Iranian non-oil goods. Around 36.4 million tons of non-oil goods worth $15.309 million were exported to Asian countries, accounting for 95% and 92.97% of total exports in terms of weight and value respectively. The figures show a fall of 6% in weight and 4% in value.
Europe followed Asia as a distant second, accounting for 4.98% of total export value and 2.5% of total export weight. Iran shipped 937,000 tons of non-oil goods worth $820 million to Europe in the period. The figure shows a decline of 21% in weight, but a rise of 7.5% in value compared to the similar period of last year.
Exports of 933,000 tons of goods worth $313 million to Africa made the continent the third export destination for Iran's non-oil exports, registering a decline of 29% in weight and 19% in value over last year. The continent accounted for 2.5% of total export weight and 1.9% of total export value.
Exports to Americas accounted for 0.08% of total exports in terms of value and 0.01% in weight. Around 3,000 tons of goods worth $13 million was the meager share of this continent in Iran’s exports, indicating a 94% plunge in weight and 56% fall in the value over the preceding year.
Oceania stands at the bottom of the list, accounting for 0.02% of Iran's overall exports in terms of weight and 0.07% in value. Some 7,000 tons of non-oil goods worth $12 million were exported to the continent, which shows a 17% rise in terms of weight but a 12% fall in value.
The TPO report also shows that Asian countries were the main exporters to Iran as well. Iran imported 11.603 million tons of goods worth $15.788 billion from Asia, accounting for 75.7% in terms of weight and 67.5% in terms of value of total imports in the six months. Imports saw a 14% fall in weight and 22% decline in value compared to last year's corresponding duration.
Also, 5.103 million tons of commodities worth $611 million were imported from Europe, accounting for 22.1% in value and 29.7% in weight of Iran’s total imports. The imports show a fall of 14% and 12% in terms of weight and value respectively.
Americas exported 478,000 tons of goods worth $380 million, accounting for 1.8% in terms of value and 2.8% in terms of weight of the total imports. The figures post a 29% drop in terms of weight and value.
Iran imported 6,000 tons of goods worth $38 million from Africa during the first half of the year. The continent constituted 0.18% in terms of value and 0.04% in terms of weight from Iran’s total imports. Last year’s figures show imports from this continent experienced a fall of 74% in weight and 17% in value.
Oceania exported 11,000 tons of goods worth $35 million to Iran, accounting for 0.17% in value and 0.06% in weight of Iran's total imports. Compared with last year, imports from Oceania show a 97% plunge in terms of weight and a 78% fall in terms of value.
> Intermediate Goods Constitute Bulk of Imports
Imports of intermediate goods outstripped those of consumer and capital goods during the period. Around 15.473 million tons of intermediate goods worth $13.721 million were imported, accounting for 68.1% in terms of value and 92% in terms of weight of Iran’s total imports.
Also, 388,000 tons of capital goods worth $3.775 billion were imported, accounting for 2.3% in weight and 18.7% in value of total imports.
Iran imported 965,000 tons of consumer goods worth $2.652 billion in the first half of the year. The share of consumer goods from Iran’s imports was 5.7% in terms of weight and 13.2% in terms of value.
