TPO: Non-oil exports top $41.24b in first nine months, up 1% by weight
Iran’s total non-oil exports reached 118.901 million tons, valued at $41.243 billion, during the first nine months of the current Iranian year, which began March 21, registering a 1 percent increase in weight compared with the same period last year, the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) announced, according to IRNA.
The average price per ton of exported goods during the period stood at $347. Analysis of export destinations indicates stabilization of Iranian goods in major regional and Asian markets, clearly reflected in the country’s top five export markets.
China ranked first with $10.212 billion in purchases, representing a 25 percent share, followed by Iraq with $7.395 billion (18%), the UAE with $5.816 billion (14%), Turkey with $5.005 billion (12%) and Afghanistan with $1.877 billion (5%). These five countries collectively accounted for 74 percent of Iran’s total exports, highlighting strong commercial ties and high potential for expanding economic cooperation in the region.
The export commodity mix shows that petrochemical, mining and metal industry chains continue to form the main pillar of the country’s non-oil exports. Key items during the period included methanol, petroleum bitumen, liquefied butane, iron and non-alloy steel ingots, various urea types, other petroleum gases and liquefied hydrocarbon gases, iron ore and its concentrate, polyethylene grade, containers, hot-rolled iron and steel bars, and worked aluminum.
“This commodity composition indicates the continuation of Iran’s relative advantages in the energy, mining and metal industries, with high capacity to develop exports of higher value-added products in these sectors,” the report said.
During the same nine-month period, Iran’s imports reached 29.325 million tons valued at $44.151 billion. The average price per ton of imported goods was recorded at $1,506.
The top five import sources were the UAE, China, Turkey, India and Germany, collectively accounting for 80 percent of total imports. In addition, Russia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Oman and Switzerland ranked among the top ten import trade partners.
Major import items included gold, animal corn, sunflower seed oil, smartphones, rice, soybeans, separate parts for automobile production, barley (excluding seed), common wheat, soybean meal, photovoltaic cells (solar panels) and palm oil.
The report noted that the main focus of imports has been on securing essential goods, livestock and agricultural inputs, production raw materials, and certain capital- and technology-oriented items, aimed at supporting domestic production, strengthening the value chain and maintaining food security.
Iran’s foreign trade statistics for the nine-month period reflect continued trade dynamism, stabilization of export target markets, deepening of regional cooperation and the effective role of leading industries in driving non-oil exports.