"The exports of non-oil goods have grown 30% which shows that the sanctions can provide us a special opportunity," Fathollah Kermanshahi said on Saturday.
"The volume of Iran's (non-oil) foreign trade in the first six months of the current year stood at $47bln, which included $26bln of imports and $21bln of non-oil exports," he added.
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."
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