TEHRAN April 15(Shana)--Head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPO), Valiollah Afkhamirad has said that exports of commodities and gas condensate hit more than 50 billion dollars last year, up by 19 percent against a year earlier.

The official also said that exports of services reached 13 billion dollars, implying total exports of non-oil commodities reached 63 billion dollars over the past Iranian calendar year to 20th March 2015.
He added that the country has enough potential to boost exports of services including, engineering and technical know-how as well as transit and tourism.

According to him, imports of 10-group commodities stood at 52.5 billion dollars last year which resulted in 2.5 billion dollars of foreign trade deficit. He continued despite trade deficit the economy had a better performance last year because trade deficit fell by 62 percent year on year.
Elsewhere in his remarks he said the government has decided to modify some tariffs in order to protect production at home. The decision is being made at a time when the ground has been prepared for boosting production of a variety of commodities domestically.

The government has decided to raise tariffs of nearly 250 commodities, he said.

By SHANA