Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 19
By Rahim Zamanov - Trend:
Iran's trade balance with the European Union was negative in the first ten months of the current Iranian calendar year, which started on March 21, 2013, Deputy Director of Tehran province's Industry, Mine, and Trade Organization Houshang Rezayi Samarin said on Feb 19., Iran's IRNA News Agency reported.
"Iran imported some $5.858 billion worth of goods from the EU in the mentioned period," he said, adding that the country exported only $741 million worth of goods to the EU in the ten-month period.
"So Tehran's balance of trade with the EU stands at a negative $5.116 billion," Rezayi Samarin added.
He went on to note that Iran imported $1.92 billion worth of goods from Germany in the mentioned period.
"Tehran also exported $254 million worth of goods to Berlin," he stated.
Citing data released by the Iranian Customs Administration, ISNA reported in January that Iran's trade balance with 83 countries was positive in the first nine months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21, 2013.
The country traded [non-oil] goods with 171 countries in the nine month period.
Iran had the highest positive trade balance with Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Egypt, and Azerbaijan.
Iran conducted $62.507 billion in trade of non-oil goods with other countries during the mentioned nine month period of time.
The country exported $29.241 billion worth of non-oil goods (including gas condensates) and imported $33.266 billion of non-oil goods.
Iron ore concentrate, urea, and Methanol were the main goods exported, and rice, soy meal, and wheat were the main items imported.
China, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates were the three top importers of Iranian goods during the period, while the United Arab Emirates, China, and India were the leading exporters of goods to Iran.
Iran exported around $43.7 billion worth of non-oil goods in the previous Iranian calendar year and imported about $61.8 billion worth of non-oil goods to hit the unprecedented mark of $105 billion in annual trade.