Close to 170,000 tons of apples worth $57.5 million were exported during the first half of the current Iranian year (started March 20), registering a 300% and 220% rise in weight and value respectively compared with the corresponding period of last year, Mehr News Agency reported.
The new regulation ratified by the government, which requires apples to be exported in return for a low tariff of 5% against banana imports, is said to be the main reason for the huge rise.
