(MENAFN) The value of non-oil exports from East Azarbaijan province in northwestern Iran surged by 31 percent in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20 to September 21) compared to the same period last year, according to a provincial official. Abdol-Hamid Sartipi, the acting director-general of the province's Industry, Mining, and Trade Department, reported that the province exported 1.9 million tons of non-oil goods valued at USD902 million during this six-month period, marking a significant 49 percent increase in weight year on year.

Former director-general Mohammad-Jafar Ozmaei had previously noted that non-oil commodities worth USD1.542 billion were exported from East Azarbaijan province in the last Iranian calendar year 1402, which ended on March 19. He emphasized that East Azarbaijan was one of the leading provinces in the country for non-oil exports in that period.

In a broader context, Mohammad Rezvanifar, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), reported that Iran’s overall non-oil exports grew by 6.5 percent during the first half of this calendar year compared to the same timeframe last year. The country exported 70 million tons of non-oil products valued at USD25.8 billion, also showing a 3.5 percent increase in weight year on year.

During this period, Iran exported USD23.2 billion worth of oil and USD600 million in technical and engineering services, bringing the total exports to USD49.6 billion. The imports during the same timeframe amounted to USD32.6 billion, including USD2.5 billion in gold bullion. The total trade exchange reached USD82.2 billion, resulting in a negative trade balance of USD6.8 billion for non-oil goods and a positive balance of USD17 billion when including oil and technical services. Additionally, the average value per ton of export goods increased by three percent to USD366 in the first six months of this year.

MENAFN29102024000045015839ID1108828100