Iran's exports to world states surpasse $10bn in 4 Months

Iran has exported more than $10 billion worth of goods to the foreign countries in the first four months of the current year, a report said. According to a report by Iran's customs office, Iran has exported 24.309mln tons of goods worth $10.178bln to the foreign countries in the first four months of 2013. It added that the country has also imported 11.109mln tons of goods worth $15.41bln from other countries in the same period. Iran's non-oil exports exceeded $41 billion in the last Iranian year (ended March 20) despite the sanctions and restrictions imposed by the West on Tehran. "The value of the country's non-oil goods exported last year hit $41.3 billion," Ali Masoumi, an official at the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade, said earlier this month. In relevant remarks in May, Iranian Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mehdi Qazanfari said that the sanctions and restrictions imposed by the West on Iran's economy have caused a sharp reduction in Tehran's dependence on oil revenues, and encouraged the country to increase exports of non-oil products. Qazanfari dismissed the effectiveness of the sanctions on Iran's non-oil exports, and said that Iranian economy's dependence on oil revenues fell by half just in one year. "A 100% dependence on oil revenues fell by half in one single year as a result of the West's increased sanctions; we could have needed long years to do so … but the reduction of oil incomes happened just in one year." Also, earlier this year, Head of the Exports Commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Asadollah Asgaroladi said that his commission plans to equalize the volume of the country's non-oil exports and imports in the next Iranian year (started March 21). "If we are due to import goods worth about $60bln to $65bln, the country should have the same amount of exports," Asgaroladi said in February. He said that his commission plans to equalize the volume of the country's non-oil exports and imports in the next Iranian year (started March 21). "If we are due to import goods worth about $60bln to $65bln, the country should have the same amount of exports," Asgaroladi said.