Iran’s non-oil exports top $8.2 billion in two months as economy grows 3% in past year
Oil and petrochemicals drive export growth; Statistical Center reports economic expansion fueled by gains in industry, mining, and services sectors
TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) – Iran exported 24.6 million tons of non-oil goods worth $8.24 billion from March 21 to May 21, marking a 4.4 percent rise in volume despite a slight dip in value.
The release coincides with new data showing Iran’s economy grew by three percent over the past year, driven by gains in the oil, gas, and industrial sectors, according to Tehran Times.
The latest trade data was released by Foroud Asgari, head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) and deputy economy minister.
He noted that while export volume rose by 4.4 percent year-on-year, the overall value edged down slightly by 0.11 percent due to a 4.3 percent decline in the average customs value, which stood at $335 per ton.
Key non-oil exports included liquefied propane ($643 million), natural gas ($455 million), liquefied butane ($452 million), petroleum bitumen ($419 million), and methanol ($388 million).
Petrochemical products accounted for 5.7 million tons, valued at $2.22 billion, reflecting a four percent increase in volume and a three percent rise in value from the same period last year.
China remained Iran’s largest export destination, receiving $2.43 billion worth of goods, followed by Iraq at $1.5 billion, the United Arab Emirates with $1.09 billion, Turkey at $673 million, Afghanistan at $374 million, Pakistan at $322 million, and Oman with $305 million.
Meanwhile, Iran imported 5.9 million tons of goods valued at $8.47 billion during the same two-month period.
Although the import volume rose by 1.16 percent, the value dropped by 7.8 percent year-on-year.
The average import value stood at $1,431 per ton, down 9 percent from the previous year. Major imports included unrefined gold ($860 million), corn feed ($657 million), rice ($289 million), sunflower seed oil ($215 million), and soybeans ($211 million).
Iran’s main sources of imports were the UAE ($2.6 billion), China ($2.2 billion), Turkey ($1.37 billion), Germany ($308 million), India ($291 million), the Netherlands ($215 million), and Switzerland ($190 million).
In a separate report, the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) announced that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) at constant 2021 prices reached $200.5 billion by the end of the last Iranian year (March 2024–March 2025), up from $194.6 billion the year before.
The industry and mining sector saw a 3.4 percent increase, fueled by a 6.2 percent surge in oil and gas extraction.
Excluding oil, the GDP rose by 2.1 percent to $152.3 billion, up from $149.2 billion. The agriculture sector grew by 3.2 percent.
Within the broader industry and mining group, other mining activities rose by 0.5 percent, manufacturing grew by 1.6 percent, gas distribution by 0.5 percent, water and electricity supply by 2.4 percent, and construction by 0.5 percent. The services sector expanded by 2.5 percent year-on-year.
The SCI data highlights a moderate but sustained recovery in the Iranian economy, with oil exports continuing to play a central role, while gains in non-oil sectors, particularly industry and services, supported broader growth.
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