Financial Tribune- A round 513,000 tons of chocolate and pastry worth $615 million were exported from Iran during the first 11 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2017-Feb. 19), registering a 121% and 21% growth in weight and value respectively compared with the similar period of last year.

The announcement was made by Director General of the Agricultural and Processing Industries’ Export Coordination Bureau with the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran.

“Our biggest customer was Iraq, to which $149 million worth of products were exported. Other major export destinations for Iranian chocolate and pastry were Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ivory Coast and Azerbaijan,” Mahmoud Bazari was also quoted as saying by IRNA.

According to Chairman of Iran’s Biscuit, Confectionery and Chocolate Industries Association Jamshid Maghazei, sweets and chocolates account for 30-40% of Iran’s total food exports. Close to 50% of Iran’s biscuits and chocolates are produced in the city of Tabriz located in East Azarbaijan Province.

There are over 850 production units in Tabriz exporting to more than 50 countries. The biggest Iranian confectionery company, Shirin Asal, which is also one of the biggest in the Middle East, has recently entered Qatar’s retail market. Iran is also negotiating with the Eurasian Economic Union for the duty-free export of biscuits and chocolates to EEU member states.