The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Iranian global shipments during 2019. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Iran.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$16.4 billion (60.8% of total exports)
2. Plastics, plastic articles: $3.1 billion (11.6%)
3. Organic chemicals: $1.6 billion (6.1%)
4. Ores, slag, ash: $1.3 billion (5%)
5. Fruits, nuts: $835.8 million (3.1%)
6. Iron, steel: $725.7 million (2.7%)
7. Copper: $540.6 million (2%)
8. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $412.1 million (1.5%)
9. Fertilizers: $204.7 million (0.8%)
10. Vegetables: $173 million (0.6%)

Iran’s top 10 exports accounted for 94.2% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Ores, slag and ash (up 18.1%) was Iran’s sole top export category to grow from 2018 to 2019, powered by higher international sales of iron ores and concentrates.

The leading decliner among Iran’s top 10 export categories was vegetables thanks to a -83.9% drop year over year.

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, crude oil represents Iran’s most valuable exported product at 51.1% of the country’s total. In second place were ethylene polymers (10.4%), iron ores and concentrates (4.7%), acyclic alcohols (4.6%), miscellaneous nuts (2%), refined copper and unwrought alloys (1.5%) and semi-finished iron or non-alloy steel products (1.2%).

The following types of Iranian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$16.2 billion (Down by -75.5% since 2018)
2. Plastics, plastic articles: $2.2 billion (Down by -47.8%)
3. Ores, slag, ash: $1.3 billion (Up by 19.7%)
4. Fruits, nuts: $737.4 million (Down by -44.3%)
5. Copper: $522.7 million (Down by -23%)
6. Organic chemicals: $381.6 million (Down by -86%)
7. Iron, steel: $378.5 million (Down by -86%)
8. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $349.3 million (Down by -49.8%)
9. Zinc: $158.7 million (Down by -34.1%)
10. Vegetables: $119.4 million (Down by -85.7%)

Iran has highly positive net exports in the international trade of mineral fuels-related products particularly crude oil and, to a lesser extent, refined oils, petroleum gases and petroleum residues including coke and bitumen. In turn, these cashflows indicate Iran’s strong competitive advantages under the mineral fuel products-related category.

Iran incurred an estimated -$160.4 million deficit for 2019, reversing a $55.4 billion surplus one year earlier.

Below are exports from Iran that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Iran’s goods trail Iranian importer spending on foreign products.

1. Cereals: -US$3.6 billion (Down by -17.2% since 2018)
2. Machinery including computers: -$3.5 billion (Down by -51.7%)
3. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$2.1 billion (Down by -39%)
4. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$1.3 billion (Down by -3.5%)
5. Pharmaceuticals: -$1.1 billion (Down by -27.2%)
6. Oil seeds: -$1 billion (Down by -30.2%)
7. Food industry waste, animal fodder: -$918.1 million (Up by 43.1%)
8. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: -$815.4 million (Down by -15.7%)
9. Paper, paper items: -$670.3 million (Down by -8.5%)
10. Vehicles: -$670.2 million (Down by -50.4%)

Iran has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for rice, corn and barley under the cereals category.

Iranian Export Companies

According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following companies are examples of diverse exporters from Iran.

• Pars Pak (carpets, other textile floor coverings)
• Sana T Tejarat Anahita (grapes, raisins)
• Khadem Trading (cereals, aerated/mineral water)
• Dezdasht Agro Industry (juice, jams)
• Omid Nikan (acyclic polyhydric alcohols)
• Kayson (grinding machines, tubes/pipes/hoses, doors)
• Dashte Morghab (flour, meal)
• Celulose Irani (wooden furniture)
• Bushehr Marine Products (citrus fruit, melons)
• Axis Global Trading (pistachios)