TEHRAN - IRICA Spokesman Rouhollah Latifi has said that Iran’s exports to Africa reached a total of $1.2 billion in the year to late March.
The official said that Iranian exports had reached 50 out of 55 African countries over the period. Total shipments had amounted to over 2.5 million metric tons (mt) in volume terms, he said, adding that imports from Africa into Iran had stalled at a tiny figure of just over $60 million for just more than 65,000 mt of goods over the same period.
IRICA figures showed that Ghana was the largest purchaser of Iranian goods over the year to March as the West African country took delivery of $353 million worth of shipments from Iran. South Africa came second with $254 million, followed by Nigeria at $125 million.
Iran has sought to increase its exports to Africa as part of plans to diversify its trade and to strengthen the non-oil sector of its economy.
A senior trade delegation from Nigeria was in Tehran earlier this week to sign documents to boost economic relations with Iran.
Iranian non-oil exports reached $48 billion in the year to late March with authorities hailing it as a major success for the country amid efforts to offset the impacts of American sanctions on oil revenues.