Azerbaijan, Baku, May.19/ Trend F.Karimov/
Iran non-oil exports and imports declined by 11 percent and 39 percent respectively in the first Iranian calendar month of Farvardin (March 21-April 20) compared to the same month in the previous year, data released by the Iranian Customs Administration shows.
Iran exported non-oil goods at the cost of $2.497 billion in Farvardin, half of which were gas condensates and petrochemical products. This is while non-oil exports are projected to hit $59 billion in the current calendar year, which ends in March 2014.
Last year, Iran's non-oil exports stood at $43 billion compared to $48 billion in the year which ended in March 2012.
Petrochemical exports fell by 33 percent last year and reached $10 billion.
Imports of non-oil goods amounted to $2 billion in Farvardin, most of which were agricultural products.
On May 16, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that there will be no need to oil revenues if agricultural and mineral exports are appreciated.
According to the Customs Administration, Iran imported wheat, rice, corn, soy, and vegetable oil at the total cost of $10 billion, accounting for 20 percent of the country's total imports.
In Farvardin, Wheat imports amounted to $184 million, rice imports - $131 million, oil cake - $202 million, unrefined sugar - $51 million, and corn - $36 million.
Iran also imported steel ingot and steel products in the value of $50 million in the reporting period.
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