Mohammad Ali Dehghan Dehnavy, head of the Iran Trade Development Organization, today, October 19, 2026, at the National Export Associations Conference titled "The Role Players in Iran's Non-Oil Development," held on the sixth day of the "Seven Days of Exports" event, stated that Iran, with its natural resources, skilled human resources, knowledge and technology, and economic experience, has the capacity to achieve daily exports of one billion dollars and must plan to realize this goal.
Performance of Non-Oil Exports and Challenges
Dehghan Dehnavy mentioned the performance of the country's non-oil exports, stating that in 2024, Iran's non-oil exports reached 58 billion dollars, which was higher than all previous years. In 2025, despite incidents such as the Shahid Rajaei Port incident, the 12-day war, the events of December, and the Ramadan war at the end of the year, 52 billion dollars in non-oil exports were achieved.
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The head of the Iran Trade Development Organization pointed out the difficult conditions of the country's foreign trade this year and the limitations resulting from the blockade, adding that about 75% of the country's trade is conducted via sea routes, and restrictions in this path can expose a large part of trade to damage. He also mentioned a weight reduction in trade of about 30 to 35 percent in the mentioned six-month period and added that the decrease in export value was about 20 percent.
Trade Development Axes and the Role of Associations
Dehghan Dehnavy identified increasing the volume of exports and enhancing the economic value of exported goods as two fundamental axes of trade development, stating that the average value of each ton of Iran's exported goods is about 300 to 400 dollars. He also referred to the gap between Iran's exports and the country's economic capacities, adding that the 52 billion dollars in annual exports is, on average, about one billion dollars per week, while Turkey, neighboring Iran, has daily non-oil exports of one billion dollars.
The head of the Iran Trade Development Organization also differentiated external restrictions from internal export barriers, stating that sanctions and blockades are significant obstacles to the country's trade, and overcoming them comes with costs and limitations. He emphasized that the responsibility for resolving legal, regulatory, and administrative issues lies with the relevant agencies.
Dehghan Dehnavy invited economic associations to present their export development plans, highlighting the necessity of convergence and voluntary participation in reforming trade processes. He also mentioned the establishment of export consortiums and sending trade delegations as areas for association participation.
