Despite the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Tehran in 2018, Chinese purchases of Iranian oil have allowed the country to maintain a positive trade balance.
Without oil exports, Iran would have registered a $16.8 billion trade deficit, Rezvanifar said.
He added that total trade registered a 2.6% year-on-year increase, reaching a value of $153 billion, of which $86.8 billion was Iranian exports.
