Iranian economy maintained steady growth in 2004 – IRNA

IRNA web site
30 Mar 05

Tehran, 30 March: Iran’s economy maintained steady growth in the 2004
fiscal, mainly due to its positive trade balance with majority of a
group of 165 states with which it had transactions.

A growth of 2.4 per cent was witnessed in the agriculture sector, 2.8
per cent in the oil sector, 6.4 per cent in the industries and mining
sector, 4.1 per cent in the GDP and 4.3 per cent in the GDP excluding
oil in the first six months of the last Iranian year of 1383
(March-September 2004) compared to the figures for the same period the
year before.

Iran’s imports amounted to more than 17 billion dollars, while its
exports stood at 20.932 billion dollars (including oil and oil
derivatives), showing about a 4bn dollar surplus (up more than 167 per
cent compared to 1.533bn dollar surplus in the same period last year).

Oil and gas accounted for 17.421 billion dollars out of a total of
20.932 billion dollars exports revenues in the period.

The country still lags behind and further steps should be taken to
improve its economy.

Based on figures available, Iran’s trade balance (excluding oil, gas
and services) was negative with 91 countries and positive with 74
countries in 2004.

Iran’s trade balance was 4.092 billion dollars in the positive with
Iraq, 2.058 billion dollars with Afghanistan, 210.9 million dollars
with Azerbaijan, 94.3 million dollars with Turkmenistan, 80.6 million
dollars with US, 67.4 million dollars with Syria, 63.8 million dollars
with Tajikistan, and 58.2 million dollars with Armenia.

The balance was however in the negative by 2.695 billion dollars with
Germany, 2.619 billion dollars with the UAE, 2.225 billion dollars
with France, 1.507 billion dollars with Italy, 1.309 billion dollars
with China.

[Passage omitted: country can raise volume of trade]