Iran’s Exports to Eurasia Rise 16% in First Seven Months of the Year

TEHRAN (Iran News) According to a report from the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, Elham Haji-Karimi said the growth highlights the positive impact of the free trade agreement on sustaining Iran’s export performance. She added that the fourth Eurasia International Exhibition will be held in Tehran with the participation of senior officials and trade delegations from member and influential countries in the region.

Haji-Karimi noted that the highest export growth was recorded with Belarus (50 percent) and Armenia (35 percent). She emphasized that Iran’s exports to other global markets did not grow during the same period, underscoring the agreement’s effectiveness in maintaining and expanding trade with Eurasian partners.

Referring to import statistics, she explained that data are categorized based on both “trading partner country” and “country of origin.” Based on trading partners, Iran’s imports declined by about 19 percent, amounting to $885 million. However, imports from the Eurasian region based on country of origin rose by 27 percent, largely consisting of essential goods such as sunflower oil, wheat, and animal feed corn, which continued to be supplied even during the 12-day conflict period.

Comparing the composition of exports before and after the implementation of the provisional and permanent agreements, Haji-Karimi said that prior to the provisional agreement in 2019, Iran’s top ten exports to Eurasia were entirely agricultural products. She added that industrial goods such as containers, white cement, iron bars, oil, bitumen, and synthetic fibers have now been added to the list of major export items.

She stressed that Iran has significant trade potential in the Eurasian market, particularly in sectors such as automobiles and spare parts, textiles and apparel, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, and food industries, noting that Eurasian countries import large volumes of these products globally and Iran is well positioned to supply them.

Haji-Karimi also referred to the formation of specialized working groups предусмотрed under the agreement, stating that expert meetings in customs, standards, rules of origin, and transportation were held via videoconference in September and October. Their findings were later presented to the Joint Working Group, the main body overseeing the agreement.

She added that during the Joint Working Group meeting on September 24, 2025, attended by Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade and the Eurasian trade minister, implementation challenges were reviewed and a three-year economic and trade cooperation roadmap was signed. The roadmap outlines future actions under the agreement and defines the responsibilities of executive bodies on both sides.

Providing details about the upcoming Eurasia Exhibition, Haji-Karimi said trade delegations from Asian and regional countries will attend, alongside a high-level meeting of ministers and senior officials to discuss broader issues such as the performance of the free trade agreement since its entry into force on May 15, future cooperation prospects, joint investment projects, and emerging areas including e-commerce.

The Fourth Eurasia International Exhibition will be held in Tehran from February 1 to 4, offering Iranian and Eurasian businesses an opportunity to explore market capacities and further deepen trade and investment cooperation.