In response to the repression that Iran’s theocratic regime has promoted against the large demonstrations that have been taking place in the Persian country since the last week of December, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Monday (12) that he will impose a 25% tariff on any country that does business with the Iranians.
“Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a 25% tariff on any and all commercial transactions conducted with the United States of America. This order is final and non-appealable,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social network.
This measure should affect the United States’ two biggest geopolitical adversaries today, China and Russia, but also countries considered allies of Washington, such as India and Brazil – which, like the two dictatorships mentioned, are part of the Brics alongside Iran.
According to data from the TradeImeX platform, despite the economic sanctions applied to it, Iran’s foreign trade is not negligible.
In 2024, the country’s sales totaled US$112.6 billion, an increase of 5.2% compared to 2023, a performance that left Iran in 38th place in the ranking of the largest global exporters. Exports represented 22.9% of the country’s GDP in the year before last.
The main products sold by Iranians were fuels and mineral oils (36.2% of exports), plastics and related articles (12.1%) and iron and steel (9.8%).
Check below the ten countries to which Iran exported the most in 2024, according to TradeImeX:
- China: 29.3% of exports (US$30.6 billion)
- United Arab Emirates: 17.8% ($18.6 billion)
- India: 12.5% ($13.1 billion)
- Türkiye: 9.4% ($9.8 billion)
- Iraq: 7.8% ($8.2 billion)
- Afghanistan: 5.4% ($5.6 billion)
- Russia: 4.7% ($4.9 billion)
- Pakistan: 4.2% ($4.4 billion)
- Syria: 3.1% ($3.2 billion)
- Oman: 2.8% ($2.9 billion)
As for imports, data from TradeImeX indicates that Iran made purchases totaling US$69.4 billion in 2024, an increase of 4.5% compared to the previous year, ranking 51st among the largest importers in the world.
The most imported items were nuclear reactors and machines (21.1% of imports), electrical machines and equipment (14.8%) and vehicles (11.6%).
Check below the ten countries from which Iran imported the most last year:
- China: 28.7% of imports (US$ 18.2 billion)
- United Arab Emirates: 15.1% ($9.6 billion)
- India: 8.6% ($5.45 billion)
- Türkiye: 6.8% ($4.3 billion)
- Germany: 5.7% ($3.6 billion)
- Russia: 4.8% ($3.05 billion)
- Italy: 4.2% ($2.66 billion)
- South Korea: 3.9% ($2.47 billion)
- Brazil: 3.5% ($2.22 billion)
- France: 3.2% ($2.03 billion)
According to statistics from the United Nations Comtrade platform, worked by Trading Economics, in 2024, cereals, animal feed, grains, fruits and sugar were among the products that Brazil exported most to Iran.
