The value of the trade ties between Iran and the world states exceeded $47bln in the first half of the current Iranian year (started on March 20) despite the western sanctions against the country, an official report said on Wednesday.

The report by Iran's Customs Office said that the country exported $20.618bln worth of non-oil goods and imported $26.483bln worth of commodities in the first 6 months of the current year.

The figures also showed that Iran's trade exchanges with the outside world comprised of 44% of non-oil exports and 56% of imports, showing a 2% increase in Iran's non-oil exports compared to the same period last year.

Iranian officials have underlined that the country plans to increase its non-oil exports to over $70bln in the current Iranian year.

Late in December, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lauded the country's growing non-oil exports, and said Iran's non-oil exports would equal its imports in the current Iranian year.

"God willing, non-oil exports will equal (Iran's) imports by the end of 1391 (march 19, 2013)," he said, adding, "That would be a great revolution in the country's economy."
mehr/281

News ID 182846