Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 25 / Trend, N. Umid
About 1,574 tons of medicines were cleared through Iran customs during last Iranian calendar month (August 23- September 22), deputy head of Iran's Customs Administration, Mohammad Reza Naderi said, IRNA news agency reported.
He went on to note that, the value of the released medicines during the period reaches $123.066 millions.
About 7,443 tons of medicines worth $602 millions were cleared through Iran customs during the first six months of the current solar year, Naderi added.
Iranian Shargh newspaper reported on July 17 that medicine import volume has increased by 300 percent during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad`s two-term presidency (2005-2013).
Iran's drug import increased by 900 percent since March 21, 1997, meanwhile drug production in same period increased by 500 percent, the report said.
According to the report Iran has imported some $276 million (Based on USD rate at 4,780 rials in Iran's open market during the same year) worth of drugs in 1997, which this figure reached to $2.357 billion (based on USD rate at 14,000 rials) in 2011.
Iran has imported 16,000 tons of drugs worth $1.468 billion, during the last solar year (which ended on March 21).
Drug imports ranked tenth on Iran's last year imported goods list.
During the first month of the current solar year, drug imports reached $34.3 million which is 54.7 percent less compared to the last period. However, Iran is still the world's biggest drug importer.
The decrease in the medicine imports took place, while the demand has not decreased in the domestic market.