Press TV - Iran�s pharmaceutical exports declined by 13 percent year on year in late March, says the country�s customs office, as Iranian manufacturers face increasing problems in payment settlement and provision of raw materials mainly because of the American sanctions.

Figures by the Iranian customs office (IRICA) published on Wednesday showed that drug exports had reached a total of 2,400 metric tons in the Persian calendar year ending March 19.

The figures showed that total revenues obtained from the pharmaceutical exports topped nearly 95 million.

Germany, Russia, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and India were the main destinations for Iranian generic and patented drugs, said IRICA.

A senior official at Iran Trade Promotion Organization said drug export business in Iran is still reeling from issues related to the American sanctions.

Mir Aboutaleb Badri said exporters have had growing problems in payment settlement with trade partners while they continue to face difficulties gaining patent rights for drugs in other countries and importing raw materials.

Badri said Iran�s own curbs on drugs exports which are aimed at tackling shortages of certain medicines inside the country have also played a role in declining exports of pharmaceuticals over the past calendar year.

In its Wednesday report, the IRICA said that imports of pharmaceuticals into Iran over the same 12-month period had reached a total of 13,430 tons worth $1.292 billion.

Iran�s pharmaceutical sector has grown over the past years helping the government to gradually cut on huge number of import cargoes arriving from Europe and India.

Home-made drugs and diagnostics have been extensively used in Iran to tackle the outbreak of the new coronavius pandemic.

Authorities said recently that Iranian biomedicine companies would be able to start supplying coronavirus test kits and treatments to other countries.