Iran's Exports to Turkey Increased by 59% in the First Half of the Year

The Minister of Agriculture reported on the trend of increasing trade turnover between Iran and African states. According to customs exchange statistics, during the first nine months of the Iranian calendar year 1404 (the period from March 21 to December 21, 2025), the volume of trade between Iran and Africa reached approximately 940 million US dollars. This demonstrates an increase of 66% compared to the same period last year.

Speaking at the First National Council on Agricultural Cooperation between Iran and Africa, the minister noted that despite the significant growth, the current trade volume still falls far short of the potential of the vast African market, which has over a billion people. He emphasized that although the figure is small, the direction of movement is correct, and economic interaction between the parties requires expansion through careful planning.

Nouri Kazeljeh, commenting on the share of agricultural products in Iran-Africa trade, stated that about two-thirds of Iran's imports from Africa consist of food and agricultural products. Therefore, cooperation in this area should not be limited to unilateral trade; instead, it should develop towards creating joint value chains, mutual investments, and technology transfer.

The Minister of Agriculture also highlighted the priority of eliminating administrative obstacles and strengthening ties between responsible institutions. He added that for sustainable cooperation, economic actors require clear procedures, reliable logistics, practical payment mechanisms, insurance and investment coverage, as well as predictable regulation. In this regard, opportunities for bilateral agreements and regional mechanisms can be considered in the areas of tariffs and trade facilitation, with the participation of relevant bodies.

Nouri Kazeljeh, emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring of the elimination of administrative barriers, stressed that the problems of each project must be clearly defined and documented, a responsible party must be assigned to accompany them, and the progress of work must be evaluated within established deadlines.

At the beginning of the First National Council on Agricultural Cooperation, the minister particularly highlighted the opportunities for joint agricultural partnership with Africa that need to be transformed into concrete, actionable, and long-term economic ties. The council was attended by ambassadors, economic advisors, honorary consuls, executive body officials, economic associations, entrepreneurs, investors, and over 200 economic participants. The minister noted that such broad participation provided a valuable opportunity to translate the political will to expand Iran-Africa relations into concrete projects and strong economic partnerships.

According to data from the National Statistical Committee of Uzbekistan, between January and September 2026, Uzbekistan imported oil, petroleum products, and similar materials worth 1.558 billion US dollars. This figure demonstrates a growth of 6.0% compared to the same period last year.

Specifically, gasoline imports increased by 33.6% over the nine-month period, reaching 454 million US dollars. Conversely, diesel fuel imports decreased by 19.1%, amounting to 189.1 million US dollars. The total volume of fuel and lubricant imports was 1.152 billion US dollars, representing a slight decrease of 0.1% year-on-year.

Imports of mineral fuels, lubricants, and related goods reached 3.369 billion US dollars, showing a growth of 21.6%. The share of this category in the total import volume increased from 8.1% to 8.5%.

Within this category, imports of natural and synthetic gas amounted to 1.605 billion US dollars, which is 49.9% more than the previous year. Liquefied petroleum gas (propane) imports increased 3.8 times, reaching 152.2 million US dollars. Meanwhile, coal, coke, and briquette imports decreased by 1.7% to 144.2 million US dollars, and electricity imports fell by 25.0% to 61.8 million US dollars.

Uzbekistan's total imports of goods and services for January-September 2026 reached 39.6 billion US dollars, which is 15.7% higher than in the same period of 2025. The country procured goods and services from over 160 countries.

Concurrently, during the first nine months of 2026, Uzbekistan exported oil, petroleum products, and similar materials worth 672.5 million US dollars, which represents an increase of 44.4% compared to the same period last year.