Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 27 / Trend, A.Yusifzade /

Iran's non-oil exports to Europe decreased by 12 percent in weight, but increased by 1 percent in value in March to December 2010, the Iranian Trade Promotion Organization Managing Director Hamid Safdel said.

During the same period, Iran's non-oil export to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) increased by 5 percent in value, and 45 percent in weight, to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 56 percent in value and 17 percent in weight, to Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) by 30 percent in value and 40 percent in weight, to Persian Gulf Cooperation Council Gulf (GCC) 25 percent in value and 23 percent in weight, the Iranian Ministry of Commerce quoted Safdel as saying.

European goods exports to Iran fell by at least 32 percent in 2010, Mehrdad Emadi, an EU economic adviser, told Trend.

"According to the European countries' statistics, the export of machinery and transport equipment to Iran significantly fell last year. This is a major blow to Iranian industrial production," he said.

The main reason for the decline in trade turnover is the sanctions against the country, he said.

According to information posted on the website of the European Commission, Europe exported goods worth 18.4 billion euro to Iran in 2009. Roughly 54.6 percent of this amount fell to machinery and transport equipment, and 16.9 percent industrial products. The export of European goods to Iran fell by 45 percent, compared to 2008.

Meanwhile, official Tehran said the international sanctions are not hampering Iran's economic cooperation with European countries.

The country's largest foreign trade partner in Europe is Germany. According to the Iranian Customs Administration, approximately seven percent of Iran's total imports fell to Germany in March-December 2010.

According to Press TV, citing Agence France-Presse, the export of German goods to Iran was $4.7 billion in January-November 2010 or 2.6 percent more than in 2009.

According to Reuters, citing the German Federal Office of Statistics, the export of German goods to Iran in the last quarter of 2010 decreased by 14 percent compared to the first quarter.