Iran exported over US$3.6 billion worth of commodities to
the members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in the first four
months of the current Iranian calendar year. This reflected a 4.52%YoY increase,
said an official with the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration
(IRICA).
According to Omid Golzari, the head of the IRICA Office of
International Affairs and Public Relations, Iran exported 8.161 tons of goods
to the ECO members during the said period, Tasnim News Agency reported.
The volume of exports also increased by 31.24% as compared to
the same period last year.
As previously announced by the IRICA head, Iran’s trade with
the members of the Economic Cooperation Organization reached US$20.5 billion in
the previous Iranian calendar year.
According to Mohammad Rezvani-Far, Iran exported US$13
billion worth of commodities to the said nations last year, while the imports were
recorded at US$7.5 billion.
Referring to the trade potentials of ECO member countries in
various fields, such as rail and land transport, common borders, as well as
territorial and population size, Rezvani-Far said the volume of commercial
exchanges with ECO members should be more than this figure.
“IRICA is fully prepared to take the necessary measures for
increasing the volume of trade and transit exchanges with ECO members in order
to achieve the organization’s goals set according to the ECO agreement,” he
said.
The official underlined the development of transit ties with
ECO members as a way of boosting trade exchanges with the mentioned countries.
“Iran has many customs agreements and memorandums with ECO
member countries, and in order for these agreements to be operational in line with
the provisions of the ECO agreement, it is suggested that the ECO secretariat
announces the necessary measures needed to be taken with the cooperation of the
members,” he noted.
Iran and ECO members traded more than 23.723 million tons of
goods worth US$11.71 billion during the previous Iranian calendar year, of
which the share of exports was 18.419 million tons of goods worth US$6.890
billion and the share of imports from these countries was 5.312 million tons
worth US$4.819 billion.
Petroleum products, dairy products, foodstuff, fresh and
dried fruits, juices and citrus fruits, carpets, saffron, fish, caviar,
ornamental aquatic products, various stones, construction equipment, clothing,
industrial equipment, bags and shoes, medicine, and health supplies, as well as
plastic products, were Iran’s main exported items to ECO members last year,
while basic goods, industrial machinery, raw materials for production, and
medical supplies and medicine, were the top imported goods from ECO member
states.
The Economic Cooperation Organization or ECO is an Asian
political and economic intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1985
in Tehran by the leaders of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey.
