BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 12
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
Iran has moved to an oil-free economy, Iran's Acting Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Hossein Modarres Khiabani said at a meeting of the Iranian parliament on the vote of confidence on his appoibntment, Trend reports citing Iranian Parliament’s official website.
According to Modarres Khiabani, Iran plans to export $41 billion worth of non-oil products in the current Iranian year (began March 20, 2020).
The acting minister added that Iran's non-oil exports are carried out in the context of US sanctions against Iran.
Modarres Khiabani emphasized that the potential of Iran's border provinces is being used to increase Iran's non-oil exports.
Iran exported more than 30 million tons of non-oil products worth $8.71 billion during first four months of the current Iranian year. The top five main countries importing from Iran were China, Iraq, the UAE, Afghanistan and Turkey.
During the reporting period, Iran imported 12 million tons of products worth $10.9 billion, mainly from China, the UAE, Turkey, India and Germany.
The US imposed new sanctions on Iran in November 2018. Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies and individuals.
On Aug. 12, the Iranian parliament held a vote of confidence on the appointment of Hossein Modarres Khiabani as Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade of Iran. According to the vote, Hossein Moderres Khiabani failed to gain necessary number of votes for the post: out of 254 MPsin the Iranian parliament, 140 voted against his appointment, 104 in favor and 10 abstained.