$100m Worth of Goods Exported From Qeshm Island Last Year

About 40,000 tons of products worth $101 million were exported from Qeshm Island in the last Iranian year (March 2020-21).
Director General of Qeshm Customs Department Ali Homayouni said that in the last Iranian year, over 40,000 tons of various products were exported from Qeshsm Island, Fars News agency reported.
He added that 20,446 tons of products worth $31 million were imported through the Island.
The official noted that the products were mainly exported to France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, China, Turkey, the UAE and Germany.
Qeshm Island is located on the southern coast of Iran’s Persian Gulf shore. It is adjacent to the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir both in Hormozgan Province. With an area of 1,500 square kilometers, it has a small population of around 150,000 full-time residents.
President Hassan Rouhani inaugurated several projects via videoconference in Aras, Arvand, Chabahar and Qeshm free trade zones as well as in special economic zones of Payam and Salafchegan worth an aggregate of 62,000 billion rials ($277 million) on Thursday. 
The projects include kaolin fabric manufacturing units, cooking oil and chocolate factories, cellulose products manufacturing plants, ceramics factory, electronic appliances plants, food processing plants, clothing units, detergent factories, specialized farming units such as vegetable, fisheries, flower and livestock farms, and civil development projects, IRNA reported.
The Expediency Council, a powerful body that resolves disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council, recently approved the establishment of seven free trade-industrialized zones and 13 special economic zones. 
The Guardian Council is an oversight body that ensures laws are in line with the Constitution and Sharia.
According to Secretary of the High Council of Free Trade Zones and Special Economic Areas Hamidreza Momeni, the seven new FTZs include Mehran in the western province of Ilam, Sistan in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Baneh-Marivan in the northwestern Kurdestan Province, Bushehr in southern Bushehr Province, Qasr-e Shirin in western Kermanshah Province, Ardabil in northwestern Ardabil Province and Incheh Borun in the northeastern Golestan Province.
Members of the council also approved the establishment of 13 special economic zones, namely Lar and Fasa in Fars Province, Abarkouh and Meybod in Yazd Province, Zanjan in Zanjan Province, Gachsaran in Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad Province, Serow in West Azarbaijan Province, Khaf and Qouchan in Khorasan Razavi Province, Khorramabad in Lorestan Province, Takestan in Qazvin Province, Shahin-Shahr in Isfahan Province and Savojbolagh in Alborz Province.
The bill on the creation of new FTZs had been approved by the parliament for three times in the Iranian years ending March 2019 and 2020, but was rejected by the Guardians Council every time, IRNA reported.
Iran currently has seven trade and industrial free zones, namely Kish, Qeshm, Chabahar, Anzali, Aras, Arvand and Maku.
Trade balance of free and special economic zones stood at $10.15 billion in the fiscal 2020-21, according to the deputy secretary of High Council of Trade and Industrial Free and Special Economic Zones.
Free and special economic zones exports stood at $854 million and over $13 billion respectively during the period under review.
"Coronavirus affected the trade in these areas during the fiscal 2020-21 and caused a 10% decrease in trade volume," Ahmad Jamali was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
The trade balance of free zones hit $154 million and of special economic zones stood at $10 billion in the last fiscal year.
Iran's total trade stood at 145.7 million tons worth $73 billion in this period, of which exports account for 112 million tons worth $34.25 billion while imports hit 34.4 million tons worth $38.4 billion.