WANA (Oct 11) – Iran achieved a record high in non-oil exports during the first year of the 14th government, reaching approximately $57.8 billion, while oil exports also grew by 15.8% for the first time, according to the head of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI).

 

Mohammad Ali Dehghan Dehnavi made the announcement during a press conference held to mark Iran’s National Export Day. He described the past year as one of the brightest in the country’s export history.

 

“Despite a challenging start this year, including a significant decline in exports due to energy shortages and widespread power outages affecting industries, we managed to recover by the end of the first half of the year. Non-oil exports grew by 15% compared to the same period last year,” he said.

 

In the first half of 2025, the total value of non-oil exports reached $25.944 billion, up slightly from $25.922 billion in the same period of 2024. In terms of volume, non-oil exports rose by 6%.

 

Dehghan Dehnavi noted that energy constraints had impacted some production chains, prompting a focus on exporting intermediate goods. Meanwhile, imports fell, decreasing by 15% from $33.463 billion in the first half of 2024 to $28.367 billion in the same period this year.

 

“Part of this reduction reflects better management of non-essential imports, though imports of raw materials and capital goods also decreased,” he said. “Despite the lower trade volume, the country’s trade balance improved significantly. The trade deficit of $7.5 billion in the first half of last year has turned into a surplus of $4 billion this year, a 68% improvement.”

 

Looking ahead, TPOI plans to maintain or even surpass last year’s export levels in the second half of 2025. The government aims for an annual export growth rate of 23%, which Dehghan Dehnavi said would require sustained effort, broad initiatives, and close cooperation with the private sector.

 

On the topic of services exports, Dehghan Dehnavi reported that engineering and technical services grew from $600 million to $900 million, while other services, including IT, increased from $885 million to $1.26 billion. Tourism revenues, however, declined, reflecting known challenges in the sector.

Non-Oil Trade