NCRI – Iran imported $53 billion worth of goods in the last Persian calendar year – with around $7 billion coming from China, the latest official statistics have revealed.
The figures also showed that China and the United Arab Emirates were the biggest importers to the regime.
China’s market share reached approximately $7.155 billion, constituting around 3,539,000 tonnes of goods according to official figures – but that is said to be only a part of the true figure.
Imports’ Association head Mohammad Hossein Barkhordar said: “In the last Iranian year, $8.161 billion worth of goods were imported from China.
“Most of these goods were parts and raw materials, which compares to $7.443 billion worth of Chinese imports in 2012.”
China is paying for 70% of its oil from Iran with goods – flooding the regime with cheap Chinese imports, Iranian MP Seyed Sharif Hosseini has revealed.
He said in March that China had paid for oil 30% in cash and settled the remaining 70% of the bill with imported goods.
Many officials have since complained of the glut of poor quality Chinese products on sale in the regime, which are often also hazardous to consumers.
Hosseini, whose remarks were published in parliament’s website on March 23, said that Iran’s cooperation with Russia and China had ‘bilateral benefits’ but the relationships had triggered some criticism.
He said: “There is also some criticism of Russia and China’s method of engaging with Iran.”
Many economists in Iran have protested the entry of low quality products from China, insisting that the imports are destroying production in Iran.
