IRI foreign trade rises 45% in a month: Report

The volume of Iran's foreign trade increased 45 percent in the last month of the previous Iranian calendar year (February 20-March 19, 2012) compared to a month before. According to the latest report issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, the total volume of Iran's foreign trade during the aforesaid period hit a new record, exceeding USD 10.924 billion. The report added that Iranian businessmen had traded USD 7.521 billion of commodities with other countries in the Iranian month preceding the mentioned period (January 21-February 19, 2012), but the figure took a remarkable upturn the next month to hit about USD 11 billion. In terms of weight, the Customs report noted, Iran's foreign trade grew by 41.2 percent in the abovementioned period and reached 12.274 million tons, while a month earlier, Iran had traded 8.695 million tons of goods with other countries. The report noted that the 45-percent increase in Iran's foreign trade during a single month proves the failure of the economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the Western countries over Tehran's peaceful nuclear energy program. On April 7, Trade Promotion Organization’s deputy director for trade aid announced that non-oil exports of Iran have surged despite international sanctions imposed on the country in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 20) to reach almost USD 50 billion. “[Iran's] non-oil exports hit 43.8 billion dollars last year and if USD 4.2 billion of technical and engineering exports is added, the final figure will stand at USD 48 billion,” Kioumars Fathollah Kermanshahi added. The official stated that in addition to the upturn in exports, more than 25 Iranian companies have implemented various technical and engineering projects in the fields of power, industry, construction, energy, wastewater, surface waters and dam construction in 10 different countries last year.