Iranian imports amounted to US$23.4 billion in 2023.

That projected dollar amount results from a -46.9% decline compared to $44 billion in 2019.

Year over year, international spending on Iranian imported goods deflated by -60.2% from $58.7 billion for 2022.

Officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Middle Eastern country is historically referred to as Persia.

At the detailed 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, the top 5 Iranian imports are corn, soya beans, automobile parts or accessories, rice and wheat. Four of Iran’s 5 most valuable imported goods are foods. Collectively, Iran’s 5 most valuable exports generated about one-quarter (25.7%) of the country’s globally exported products in 2023.

Domestically, Iran’s consumer inflation rate averaged 40.69% for 2023 down from 45.75% during 2022.

Major International Buyers of Iranian Exports

The latest available country-specific data shows that 86.9% of products imported by Iran was furnished by exporters in: United Arab Emirates (30.7% of the Iranian total), mainland China (26.5%), Türkiye (10.4%), India (4.6%), Germany (3.2%), Russia (2.6%), Switzerland (2%), United Kingdom (1.6%), Netherlands (1.54%), Pakistan (1.33%), Oman (1.29%) and South Korea (1.24%).

From a continental perspective, over four-fifths (83%) of Iran’s total imports by value in 2023 was purchased from Asian countries. Trade partners located in Europe supplied another 15.4% of Iranian import purchases.

Smaller percentages came from sellers in Latin America (1.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (0.3%), Africa (0.2%), then Oceania’s (0.04%) Australia and New Zealand only.

Given Iran’s population of 86.5 million people, its total $23.4 billion in 2023 imports translates to roughly $270 in yearly product demand from every person in the Middle Eastern country. That per-capita amount falls below the average $320 per person for 2022.

Iran’s Top 10 Imports

The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Iran’s import purchases during 2023. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Iran.

1. Machinery including computers: US$3.9 billion (16.9% of total imports)
2. Vehicles: $2.8 billion (11.9%)
3. Cereals: $2.1 billion (8.8%)
4. Electrical machinery, equipment: $2 billion (8.5%)
5. Oil seeds: $1.5 billion (6.5%)
6. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $1.1 billion (4.7%)
7. Pharmaceuticals: $851.2 million (3.6%)
8. Plastics, plastic articles: $701.1 million (3%)
9. Food industry waste, animal fodder: $568 million (2.4%)
10. Other chemical goods: $491.7 million (2.1%)

By value, Iran’s top 10 import product categories recorded over two-thirds (68.5%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.

The most modest declines among Iran’s top product categories was for vehicles via a -0.6% slowdown from 2022.

Leading Iran’s decliners were cereals (down -75.7% from 2022), electrical machinery and equipment (down -72.2%), then plastics including both materials and items made from plastic (down -60.1%).

Iran’s Imports of Machinery Products Including Computers

In 2023, Iranian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.

1. Air or vacuum pumps: US$334.5 million (down -40.4% from 2022)
2. Piston engines: $225.6 million (up 39%)
3. Taps, valves, similar appliances: $218.2 million (up 3.4%)
4. Liquid pumps and elevators: $207.6 million (down -14.6%)
5. Transmission shafts, gears, clutches: $189.4 million (up 63.6%)
6. Piston engine parts: $185.3 million (down -14.8%)
7. Computers, optical readers: $170.8 million (down -75.3%)
8. Ball, roller bearings: $144.4 million (down -23.1%)
9. Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $142.8 million (down -28.5%)
10. Temperature-change machines: $140.7 million (down -39.6%)

Among these import subcategories, Iranian purchases of transmission shafts, gears and clutches (up 63.6%), piston engines (up 39%) then taps, valves and similar appliances (up 3.4%) grew from 2022 to 2023.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery including computers among Iranian businesses and consumers.

Iran’s Imports of Vehicles

In 2023, Iranian importers spent the most on the following subcategories of automobiles and related products.

1. Automobile parts/accessories: US$1.3 billion (up 42.2% from 2022)
2. Automobile bodies: $1 billion (up 4,365%)
3. Motorcycles: $198.8 million (up 3,482%)
4. Motorcycle parts/accessories: $91.4 million (up 32.3%)
5. Trailers: $66.4 million (up 31.4%)
6. Cars: $56.4 million (up 249.8%)
7. Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $24.2 million (up 29,045%)
8. Trucks: $19.9 million (down -91.4%)
9. Special purpose vehicles: $11.5 million (up 159.5%)
10. Tractors: $9.2 million (down -99.4%)

Among these import subcategories, Iranian purchases of bicycles plus other non-motorized cycles (up 29,045%), automobile bodies (up 4,365%) then motorcycles (up 3,482%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported organic chemicals among businesses and consumers in Iran.

Iran’s Imports of Cereals

In 2023, Iranian importers spent the most on the following subcategories of cereals.

1. Corn: US$1.3 billion (down -63.4% from 2022)
2. Rice: $736.4 million (down -64.2%)
3. Barley: $43.7 million (down -94.5%)
4. Wheat: $19.9 million (down -99.1%)
5. Buckwheat, millet, canary seed: $878,000 (down -91.6%)
6. Oats $275,000 (up 30.3%)
7. Grain sorghum $67,000 (down -39.6%)

Among these import subcategories, Iran’s purchases of oats represent the only gainer from 2022 to 2023 recording a 30.3% year-over-year advance.

These amounts and the percentage changes within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of cereals-related imports among Iranian businesses and consumers.

Iran’s Imports of Electrical Items

In 2023, Iranian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronics-related goods.

1. Phone devices including smartphones: US$469.1 million (down -87.6% from 2022)
2. Electric motors, generators: $194.3 million (down -17.8%)
3. Insulated wire/cable: $131.1 million (up 64.9%)
4. Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $122.2 million (down -35.1%)
5. Electrical converters/power units: $100.1 million (down -20.9%)
6. Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $79.4 million (down -32.7%)
7. Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $68.5 million (up 29.1%)
8. Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $64.9 million (down -19.6%)
9. Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $59.2 million (down -68.8%)
10. Electrical lighting/signaling equipment, defrosters: $57.9 million (up 47.2%)

Among these import subcategories, Iranian purchases of insulated wire and cable (up 64.9%), electrical lighting or signaling equipment and defrosters (up 47.2%) then electric water heaters and hair dryers (up 29.1%) grew from 2022 to 2023.

These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of electronics-related imports among Iranian businesses and consumers.

See also Iran’s Top 10 Exports, China’s Top Trading Partners, Turkey’s Top Trading Partners, Iraq’s Top Trading Partners and Iraq’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, Country Profiles. Accessed on November 4, 2024

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on November 4, 2024

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 4, 2024

Wikipedia, Iran. Accessed on November 4, 2024