IRAN'S NON-OIL EXPORTS WITNESSES SIX PERCENT GROWTH DESPITE WESTERN SANCTIONS

Teheran, 6 Jumadil Akhir 1434/16 April 2013 (MINA) – The Persian Gulf Special Economic Zone (PGSEZ) Managing Director Massoud Hendian announced in the Southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, Monday (15/4), the volume of non-oil exports from (PGSEZ) witnessed a 6 percent growth last year despite the US-led western sanctions against Iran.

“Non-oil exports from PGSEZ increased 6 percent in terms of weight and around 11.5 percent in terms of value last year,” Hendian said, addressing a meeting in Bandar Abbas, Fars News Agency (FNA) reported as quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).

“We managed to export a total 3.173 million tons of the zone’s products worth $698.691 million to the target markets in the said period,” Hendian added.

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Once the production cycle of industries stationed in the Persian Gulf zone is fully commissioned, the PGSEZ will become Iran’s non-oil exports hub soon.

Yesterday, a senior trade official announced that the value of Iran’s non-oil exports to different world states in the past Iranian year (ended March 20) exceeded $41 billion despite the sanctions and restrictions imposed by the West on Tehran.

“The value of exports of our non-oil products hit $41.5 billion last year,” Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Hamid Safdel, who is also Head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), said.

He noted that the total value of Iran’s foreign trade reached $95 billion during March 20, 2012-March 21, 2013 period.

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Earlier this year, Head of the Exports Commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Asadollah Asgaroladi said that his commission plans to equalize the volume of the country’s non-oil exports and imports in the next Iranian year (started March 21).

“If we are due to import goods worth about $60 billion to $65 billion, the country should have the same amount of exports,” Asgaroladi said in February. (T/P09/E1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).