Markazi Province exported some 600,000 tons of commodities valued at $449 million during the 11 Iranian months ending Feb. 19, indicating a 32% decline in value compared with the similar period of a year before, said superintendent of the province’s Customs Department, Mehdi Mirashrafi. High density polyethylene, polyester fibers, cast iron molds, cement, glass, mirrors, tiles, ceramics, detergents, biscuits and chips were Markazi’s major exports. Afghanistan, Turkey, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Italy, Azerbaijan, Tunisia, Spain, Kazakhstan, France, Georgia, Armenia, Belgium, Somalia and Bangladesh were the region’s main destinations, IRNA reported. During the same period, over 76,000 tons of goods, worth $197.5 million were imported to the province, registering a 6% increase over the last year’s corresponding period. Imports mainly included aluminum ingots, steel, dairy machinery, juice and juice boxes, cotton and peanuts, with main import origins being the UAE, Turkey, China, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, India and Armenia. “The province’s customs’ revenues were about 666 billion rials ($19.5 million at market exchange rate),” Mirashrafi said. Markazi is the country’s fourth industrial hub and ranks high in the production of travertine stones, plants and flowers, pomegranates, cereals, white meat and ornamental fish.
