Yahya Al Es’haq, who leads the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce, added exports to Iraq had been affected by the spread of the new coronavirus in Iran, noting, however, that trade between the two countries will grow despite current problems, Press TV reported.

He said total exports to Iraq, which include energy and services, had reached a record high of $13 billion in March 2019.

He said Iran aims to meet a target of $20 billion in exports to Iraq in a matter of few years, adding that Iranian businesses are expected to sell between $13 billion to $14 billion worth of products and services to Iraq in the current Iranian calendar year ending in March 2021.

The businessman admitted that political instability in Iraq was another reason for a slight decline in imports of Iranian products and services over the past year.

“We see these restrictions as temporary because all issues will be resolved,” said Al Es’haq, adding that the Iraqi market is of vital importance to Iran’s foreign trade.

Iran has sought to offset the impacts of the American sanctions on its sale of oil through a series of measures to boost foreign trade, especially with neighboring countries.

Iraq is second to China on Iran’s list of top destinations for exports. The Arab country’s main import items from Iran include food, natural gas, electricity and construction materials.

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Deputy Trade Promotion Organization Chief for Commercial Aids Mohammadreza Modudi made the remarks saying “in non-oil export field, the country enjoys a positive balance of trade growth.”

“Although Iran possesses age-old and precious experience in trades, steps need to be taken in vies of formation of new markets.”

“Most important objectives pursued by the government include provision of grounds for development of businesses and enhancement of their capabilities in order to boost non-oil exports as well as elevation of trade balance,” he continued.

Volume of Iran’s non-oil exports rose from $4.2 billion in 2000 to $42.5 billion in 2016.

Modudi called for formation of global production and distribution chains in a bid to gain a share in the global market by joining these great chains of value creation.

The official deemed private sector as the main actor in foreign trade though it needs to acquire technical skills, increase knowledge and international law as well as gaining necessary marketing and negotiation skills by moving away from traditional views.

TPO deputy head emphasized the need to move towards modern markets and to take steps to develop foreign trade through marketing and formation of distribution network as well as familiarity with international law.

As regards trade, he deemed it better that trade-centered approaches were brought to focus recalling that Trade Promotion Organization had set its priority as internationalization of companies and necessary trade-related trainings.

He further urged Iran’s TPO to direct its efforts towards strengthening international and competitive companies.

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According to a timetable published by Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, a five-percent export duty will be imposed on iron ore export once approved by the government and this duty will be gradually increased to 10 percent from March 2017 and 15 percent of the cargo FOB value from March 21, 2018, a mining source told S&P Global Platts.

As a result of disagreements among private sector miners, this timetable has not been notified yet while exporters are making efforts to ship as much iron ore as possible before the start of the next Iranian year in March.

Also, the duty may not become effective at all because the cash flow from iron ore exports is essential for Iranian mining, both for private miners and semi-governmental iron ore producers.

About 34 percent of 7.09 million tons of concentrated iron ore produced by Gol-e Gohar, Iran’s largest iron ore miner, have been exported in the nine-month period, representing more than 30 percent of the company’s total income.

“In the future, we may need to import a part of the country’s iron ore, but at present there is an overcapacity both in iron ore and concentrated iron ore production compared with the [consumption in] steel industry,” a Tehran-based iron ore trader told Platts.

Iran’s iron ore production is estimated at 48 million tons in 2016, including five million tons from small privately-owned miners, according to Iran’s Iron Ore Producers and Exporters Association. That total is eight percent lower than the record 2013 production.

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Deputy for the Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation (IMIDRO) Amir Sabbagh made the remark while speaking in a training course on mine and mineral industry trends in the world and analyzing its strategic market.

The official highlighted that the eight-month value for the current year indicated a 34% growth as compared with the corresponding period last year.

He went on to state that more than 11.8 million tons of iron ore have been exported in the past eight months showing a 43% upsurge compared with the same period a year before.

Sabbagh noted that the value of iron ore exports surpassed 451.5 million dollars during the period, revealing a rise of 48.5% compared with the last year.

About 3.5 million tons of various kinds of stones were also exported in 8 months showing a growth of 193% compared with the same period last year.

The value of stones exported abroad reached 204.8 million dollars which had a 72.9% rise compared with the same period a year ago.

Exports of steel chain and downstream products also experienced a 106.6% rise climbing to 4.322 million tons.

The value of exported steel products mounted to 1.829 billion dollars revealing a 37.5 uplift in the mentioned time span.

A total of 561.6 thousand tons of copper and downstream products worth 536 million dollars were also exported over the past eight months indicating a 307.8% and 536% rise in weight and value, respectively.

As the 14th largest steel manufacturer in the world, the Islamic Republic of Iran has deployed over six million tons of the product to global markets in the first eight months of the present year though the figure is expected to hit 18 million tons by the end of the year on March 20, 2017.

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Hamid Karegar, speaking in a meeting with Qazvin Governor General Fereidoun Hemmati on Sunday, said that Iran resumed carpet exports to the US in the wake of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Carpet exports to the US in the eight months of the current Iranian year was set on $50 million compared to zero in the previous year,” he underlined.

Kargar stated that Iranian carpet exporters have not been present in American market for five years as a result of which Indian carpets have taken the place of Iranian rugs.

He further emphasized that before the imposition of international sanctions against Iranian carpets in 2010, the US remained as the top importer of Persian Carpet with a share of more than 16.5 per cent worth 82 million dollars.

Noting that carpet exports to China have also increased in recent years, Karegar said that over the past five years, carpet exports to China has raised to eight million dollars from previous 8000 dollars.

Sanctions on the country’s carpet industry imposed negative impacts on its exports, Kargar said, adding after JCPOA we have seen openings in sales of Iranian goods to the customers in foreign countries.

Iran’s carpet industry dates back to 3,000 years ago and currently, one million artists are engaged in the industry, Karegar noted.

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Figures released by the Customs Administration of Iran show that non-oil exports over the period reached as high as $31.59 billion – an increase of 9.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

Imports also stood at $31.53 billion, showing an increase of 4.3 percent year-on-year. Nevertheless, a comparison of the two figures showed that Iran’s trade surplus was positive, a statement by the Customs Administration of Iran showed.

Gas condensate comprised the majority of Iran’s non-oil exports over the period at 16.2 percent with a collective value of $5.12 billion.

The main export destinations of Iran over a period of nine months of 2016 were China ($5.69 billion), the UAE ($5.50 billion), Turkey ($2.71 billion) and South Korea ($2.33 billion).

Next top exported items were liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and light industrial oil each with a share of 6.18 percent and 3.89 percent and the net value of $1.95 billion and $1.23 billion, respectively.

The main export destinations of Iran were China ($5.69 billion), the UAE ($5.50 billion), Turkey ($2.71 billion) and South Korea ($2.33 billion), the statement added.

Also, figures show that a majority of the imports were carried out from China ($7.51 billion), the UAE ($5.10 billion), South Korea ($2.50 billion) and Turkey ($2.18 billion).

Iran’s Customs Administration further emphasized that imports from the above countries had seen moderate declines.

There was only a significant rise in imports from Germany. Imports from Germany over the same period had seen an increase of 38.22 percent with a total value of $1.78 billion, the statement concluded.

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