July 26,�The Iran Project � China�s Customs�Department has announced that in the first half of 2017, the volume of trade exchanges between Iran and China grew by 31% compared to the same period a year ago.

The data released by the department showed that Chinese-Iranian trade exchanges stood at USD 18 billion in the first six months of 2017, witnessing 31% year-on-year increase.

Iran-China trade�was�worth�USD 13.7 billion in the first half of 2016, according to the data.

Exports from China to Iran rose to $ 8.8 billion in January-July 2017, showing a 23% increase compared to the same period last year in which China exported $ 7.2 billion worth of goods to Iran.

China�s imports from Iran have also significantly increased so that Beijing's $ 6.5 billion imports from Iran in the first half of 2016 reached $ 9.2 billion in January to July 2017, showing a 40% rise.

It is worthy to mention that Beijing is the top customer of Iran�s crude and is seen as Tehran�s largest trade partner.

Head of Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce Asadollah Asgaroladi said earlier at a business meeting with a delegation of China�s oil and gas activists in Iran�s Chamber of Commerce that Tehran and Beijing have long had great trade, social and cultural ties, referring to oil and gas as the basis of two countries� trade relations.