Business! China, the United Arab Emirates, and the EU are now Iran's main trading partners, accounting for 19.5%, 16.8% and 16.3% respectively.
Balance in trade with Iran was €682 million in 2017. Trade balances since 2012 with Iran have been mostly positive; for the previous five years they were mostly negative.
The EU exported over €10.8 billion worth of goods to Iran in 2017. EU exports to Iran are mainly machinery and transport equipment (€5.5 billion, 50.9%), chemicals (€1.9 billion, 18.1%), and manufactured goods (€0.9 billion, 8.9%).
The EU imported over €10.1 billion worth of goods from Iran in 2017. Most EU imports from Iran are energy-related (mineral fuels account for €8.9 billion and 88.7% of EU imports from Iran), followed by manufactured goods (€0.6 billion, 6.4%), and food (€0.3 billion, 3.3%).
In 2017, EU imports from Iran increased by 83.9% and EU exports increased by 31.5%.

As the Trump administration comes to an end, it has been trying to leave behind even more sanctions on Iran. But that requires cooperation from other countries, and that cooperation has been fraying some, especially when it comes to Iran's key source for cash.
Administration threats to sanction countries or companies buying Iranian oil have had some effect. Big importers such as India and Japan severed their oil ties with Iran.
Primarily, companies based in China or linked to networks that Chinese companies use to get this oil are willing to take that risk.
Venezuela, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates also buy from Iran.
Virtually all of Iran's oil is shipped clandestinely because of the sanctions. The vessels often turn off their transponders, so it's difficult to track them. There are also transfers between ships while at sea.
The sanctions have had a serious impact on Iran's economy, but they haven't achieved the Trump administration's goal of forcing it to renegotiate the nuclear deal and change its behavior in the region.
''Money makes the tankers sail around'