Iran exports 48.5bln of non-oil products

The country seeks to raise the value of its non-oil exports to $70 billion in the current Iranian year (started March 20), Rahimi said in Beirut on Wednesday. He referred to the country's imports of $60 billion in the last Iranian year and said if the intended target for exports is achieved this year, it would be the first time that the value of the country's exports exceed that of its imports. The Iranian official put the value of Iran's non-oil exports in the last Iranian year at more than $48.5 billion. Late in December, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lauded the country's growing non-oil exports, and said Iran's non-oil exports will equal its imports in the next Iranian year. "The value of Iran's non-oil exports in 2005 was $7bln but it has already reached $32.6bln under the present government and will reach $45bln this year," Ahmadinejad announced at the time. "God willing, non-oil exports will equal (Iran's) imports by the end of 1391 (march 19, 2013)," he said, adding, "That would be a great revolution in the country's economy."