TEHRAN, Iran, October 19. The deputy of the Iran-Africa Merchants Club announced that a new direct flight between Iran and Africa will be launched within the next year.
The deputy of the Iran-Africa Merchants Club and the former spokesman of Iran’s Customs Administration Rouhollah Latifi announced the 27 percent growth of Iran's trade with Africa in the first half of the current Iranian year (started on March 21, 2022).
“Despite the growth of Iran's trade with African countries in the last year, trade with Senegal is still declining,” Latifi told Trend.
The direct flight to Africa will be launched by Iran's Al-Fajr Business Group within the next year. “the direct flight is a turning point to enhance collaborations between African countries,” he added.
He explained that a total of 1.437 tons of goods worth $761 million were traded between Iran and Africa in the first six months of the current Iranian year, which means a 1 percent growth in weight and 27 percent growth in value compared to the same period last year.
Out of that, the official added, Iran’s exports accounted for 1,382,000 tons of goods worth $710 million sent to 40 African countries, while imports to Iran accounted for 56,000 tons of goods worth $52 million, from 19 African nations
Latifi said that South Africa ($210 million), Mozambique ($145 million), Nigeria ($115 million) and Ghana ($76.5 million, Ivory Coast ($40 million), Kenya ($31 million), and Tanzania ($27 million) were the top destinations of Iranian goods, respectively.
Tanzania ($14.5 million), Kenya ($10.5 million), South Africa ($5.3 million), Ghana ($5 million), the Democratic Republic of the Congo ($4.7 million), Seychelles ($3.3 million), and Egypt ($ 3 million) had respectively the most imports to Iran, he added.
Regarding the amount of trade with Senegal during the mentioned period, Latifi said the trade with Senegal declined by 40 percent in weight and 55 percent in value compared with the same period last year. A total of 754 tons of goods worth $376,000 were exported to Senegal, in the mentioned period.
Latifi noted that the Iran-Africa Business Club and the Senegalese Business Union, are seeking to increase the amount of trade between Tehran and Dakar.