Iran eying to export $70bln of non-oil products next year

Iran's First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said that the country plans to boost its non-oil exports to $70bln in the next Iranian year (starts on March 20). "The government targets $70 billion of non-oil exports in 1391 (March 20, 2012-March 20, 2013)," Rahimi said in an economic conference here in Tehran on Tuesday. He added that Iran has exported $45 billion of non-oil products this Iranian year (March 20, 2011-March 20, 2012). Late in December, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lauded the country's growing non-oil exports, and said Iran's non-oil exports will equal its imports in the next Iranian year. "The value of Iran's non-oil exports in 2005 was $7bln but it has already reached $32.6bln under the present government and will reach $45bln this year," Ahmadinejad announced at the time. "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." In March 2003, a senior Iranian economic official announced that the country plans to boost its non-oil exports to $301 billion within the next five years. Iranian Deputy Commerce Minister Hamid Safdel stated at the time that Iran's non-oil exports, excluding gas condensates, will reach $301 billion in a five-year period.