(MENAFN) Ardebil province in northwest Iran saw a 54% increase in non-oil exports in the first half of the Iranian calendar year (March 20-September 21) compared to last year. Yasoub Nejad-Mohammad, head of the province’s Finance and Economic Affairs Department, reported that 157,000 tons of non-oil goods worth $80 million were exported. This reflects a 42% increase in weight year on year, highlighting the province’s growing role in Iran’s non-oil trade.
Aside from exports, the province imported 15,000 tons of non-oil goods valued at $105 million, marking a 73% increase in value and a 57% rise in weight compared to last year. This signifies strong trade activity in Ardebil.
Nationally, Iran’s non-oil exports rose by 6.5% during the same period, totaling 70 million tons worth $25.8 billion. The country also exported $23.2 billion in oil and $600 million in engineering services, leading to a total export value of $49.6 billion in the first half of the year.
Iran’s imports reached $32.6 billion, including $2.5 billion in gold. The total trade for the first half of the year was $82.2 billion. Without oil and services, Iran experienced a $6.8 billion trade deficit, but including them, the balance turned to a positive $17 billion, showing the resilience of Iran’s economy despite challenges.
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