Iran exports $2.9bn worth of goods to Iraq in 6 months

Iran exported $2.9bln worth of good to Iraq during the first six months of the current Iranian year calendar (March 21-September 22, 2013), an official at the Export Promotion Organization (EPO) said. Speaking at a press conference in Abadan’s Arvand Free Trade Zone in Southwestern province of Khuzestan, deputy marketing and relations regulator of the EPO Reza Towfiqi Zawareh put the value of Iran's exported commodities to Iraq as $2.9bln in the first six months of the Iranian year calendar, and added, “The comparable value of Iran's exports to Iraq during the year 2012 was $6, 300, 000, 000.” He said that the country’s total value of foreign trade in the first six months of the current Iranian year was more than $37bln, of which some $18bln was the non-oil exports and $19.5bln the imports, the Islamic republic news agency reported. Towfiqi Zawareh said that despite the entry of new competitors, the performance of Iran in Iraqi markets is still positive and noticeable. He expressed hope that with elimination of the existing obstacles, the major part of which is improvement of Iraq’s political status, which is underway, the volume of foreign trade, too, would increase during the second half of the current Iranian year.