Making the remarks on the sidelines of a ceremony in southern Iranian province of Bushehr, he told reports that imports from Iranian ports have also increased by 24 percent in the said time.

“Loading and unloading have also grown in Iranian ports by five percent year-on-year, despite the US sanction,” the deputy minister said.

“Loading and unloading in Imam Khomeini port increased by 49 percent in the said time, while in Bushehr port loading and unloading cargoes have increased three percent,” Rastad added.

Rastad was in Bushehr province to attend a ceremony to establish a 4.5-megawatt- gas power plant using a 1.5-million-euro investment of the Iranian private sector.

Despite the sanctions, Iran’s foreign trade volume in the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21 – Sept. 22) has also surpassed $42 billion.

According to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi in the said period, the proven exports share of non-oil goods (with crude oil, kerosene and fuel oil excluded) hit over 70 million tons, valued at $20.948 billion.

China, Iraq, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan were Iran’s main exports destination in the same period which accounted for 75 percent of Iran’s total exports share.

Islamic Republic of Iran imported 16,567,000 tons of goods, valued at $21.221 billion, in the first six months of the current year (from March 21 to Sept. 22), Mir-Ashrafi added.

He went on to say that China, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, India and Germany were considered as five main goods exporting countries to Iran in the same period, accounting for 70 percent of Iran’s total imports value.