Iran Economic News Headlines - March 6

1. Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev: Iran-Azerbaijan trade increased by 74% in 2018 to stand at $450 million. (HIBNA)
2. Chairman of Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation Khodadad Gharibpour: Some $2.2 billion worth of mineral projects have come on stream since the beginning of the current [fiscal] year [starting March 21]. About $3 billion worth of new projects will be launched next year. (IRNA)
3. Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian: Iran and Russia’s power grid will be linked through Azerbaijan. (ILNA)
4. Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi, the head of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration: Iran places a higher priority on improving trade ties with neighboring countries. (IRNA)
5. Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Farhad Dejpasand: Of the $40 billion worth of exports over the 11-month period [ended Feb. 19], only $8 billion in foreign currency have been repatriated. (Mehr News Agency)
6. Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Bahram Qasemi: A European delegation will visit Tehran to discuss the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges [the European special purpose vehicle for doing non-dollar transaction with Iran]. (IRNA)
7. Chairman of Majlis Economic Commission Mohammad Reza Pour-Ebrahimi: The government should switch the policy of subsidizing imports of essential goods to paying direct subsidies to people on a monthly basis. (Mehr News Agency)
8. Parliamentarian Ezzatollah Yousefian-Molla: There is no option but to resort to a coupon management system for the distribution of subsidized essential goods. (ILNA) 
9. Deputy Agriculture Minister Mohammad Ali Javadi: Up to 87% of food security in Iran are guaranteed by local production. (IRNA)
10. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi: Iran wants Germany to revise the decision to suspend Mahan Air flights. (ISNA)
11. CEO of Tehran Stock Exchange Ali Sahraie: Iran's capital market is gearing up for the advent of new financial instruments. (IRNA)
12. Abbas Argoun, a member of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture: The main index of Tehran Stock Exchange has grown by 70% since the beginning of the current [fiscal] year [March 21, 2018]. (TCCIM News Service)
13. Chief Executive of Iran Mercantile Exchange Hamed Soltaninejad: The industrial and mining sector accounted for 36%, petrochemicals 34%, petroleum-products 25% and agriculture constituted 3% of the total 1.65-trillion-rial [$12 million] trade at IME during the 11-month period [ending Feb. 19]. (IRNA)
14. Deputy Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade and Chief Executive of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization Mohsen Salehinia: About 2,000 SMEs have exported $3 billion worth of goods since the beginning of the current [fiscal] year (March 2018-19). (IRNA)
15. Mohammad Ali Hassanzadeh, the deputy head of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran: Only half of the capacity of Iranian ports is currently used for regional transit. (IRNA)
16. Mozaffar Mohammadi, a member of Iran Pistachio Association’s Board of Trustees: Iran accounts for 40% of the world’s pistachio trade. (Mehr News Agency)
17. Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Reza Rahmani: The export of oranges and apples is banned from March 6 to April 4 so that the government is able to regulate the domestic market before and during the Iranian New Year holidays [March 21-April 2]. (Otaghiranonline.ir) 
18. Hassan Salehi, the former head of Iran Fisheries Organization: Domestic seafood production has seen a 40-fold rise over the past four decades. (IRNA)
19. Director General of Kermanshah Customs Administration Khalil Heidari: More than 5.34 million tons of goods worth over $2.64 billion were exported from Iran's western Kermanshah Province during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year to register a 32% and 46% rise in tonnage and value respectively. (Mehr News Agency)
20. Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami: The state of Iranian airports doesn’t live up to the expectations of Iranian people. (ILNA)