TEHRAN - Iran’s ministry of trade (MIMT) has reported that the country’s manufacturing exports reached a total of $4.092 billion in the 11 months to February 19.
The figures showed that manufacturing had accounted for 9.6% of Iran’s non-oil exports over the same period.
Shipments rose to 112 million metric tons, accounting for 3.4% of the total volume of the exports, said the report.
Polymer products, clothing and chemicals were responsible for 60% of Iranian manufacturing exports between March 2021 and February 2022, according to the MIMT figures.
Exports of polymer products rose 16% year on year to $1.134 billion, while textile, garment and shoe exports increased by 8% to $726 million.
Manufactured machinery and equipment exports from Iran also increased to reach $540 million over the 11 months to late February, said the MIMT, adding that home appliances exports had risen to $326 million.
Gas export revenues rose 84% to $4.8 billion, with Turkey and Iraq being Iran’s main markets. Methanol sales soared 88% to $1.9 billion. Iran is the largest exporter of methanol to China which is the world’s largest importer and accounts for some 60% of global consumption.
Propane exports grew 88% to $1.6 billion, butane exports 99% to more than $1 billion and urea sales by 142% to $1.5 billion. Iran also sold $1.2 billion of bitumen and $715 million of gasoline, a strategic fuel in which the country achieved self-sufficiency under sanctions.
China is also the largest importer of polyethylene, the most common plastic. Iran’s overall exports of the substance in four grades surpassed $3.7 billion in the period.
Exports from other sectors, including electronic and power, cellulose industries, automotive, high tech and pharmaceuticals accounted for over $750 million of Iran’s manufacturing exports over the same period, showed the figures.
In the mining sector, sales of metals rose more than 90% to $10.4 billion. More than $1 billion worth of non-metallic products were also exported in the period.
Iran is a major steel producer, which aims to export 20 to 25 million tons of the metal annually by 2025.
Its agricultural production is also immense. The country is the world’s top producer of pistachio nuts but the position is under threat from the U.S.
Last year, exports of the popular nibble declined 35% to $656 million. Overall, Iran exported $4.7 billion of agricultural products in the 11 months of the last Persian year, down 15% from the year before.
Exports of handicrafts grew by a whopping 119% to $122 million but sales of hand-woven carpets, once one of Iran’s key non-oil exports, dropped to a trickle to $56 million.
The growth has helped Iran boost its foreign trade and compensate for losses suffered in energy export revenues.
Figures by the Iranian customs office shows that total non-oil exports from the country rose to $43.5 billion in the 11 months to February 19.