Iranian First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri says the country’s non-oil exports during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 20) showed a 21 percent increase in comparison with similar period the previous year.

“The [country's] four-month performance in non-oil exports had an appropriate growth,” Jahangiri said on Tuesday.

He added that boosting non-oil exports is among the priorities of the Islamic Republic in the current Iranian year and urged the removal of obstacles in this regard.

Jahangiri said Iran exported $16.3 billion of non-oil products in the aforementioned four months.

He noted that Iran’s trade balance in the same period stood at $3.4 billion, showing a considerable boost when compared to the previous year.

The Iranian first veep said gas condensate, petrochemicals, industrial products, agricultural produce, minerals, carpets and handicraft accounted for 41.2 million tons worth $16.3 billion of the non-oil exports, up 36 and 21 percent in weight and value year-on-year.

He also called for the removal of obstacles in the way of Iranian contractors and exporting companies to export their products to Iraq.

Iran has been seeking to lay the basis for a non-oil economy. In February, Iranian President Rouhani said the country must take measures to wean the economy off petrodollars.

“Even if oil prices increase [in the future] we should not move towards dependence on oil revenues for running the country,” he said.