Iran Eyes to Double Trade Volume With Neighboring States
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
Caretaker of Export Markets Development Department of Iran Trade Promotion Organization says if the authorities of Supreme Council of Non-Oil Exports Development return to the council and the Headquarters for Exports Development is set up based on the Article 127 of the Constitutions, then the country can have a unified center for its trade and it can accelerate decision-making related to the exports affairs.
Speaking to ILNA, Masoud Kamali Ardekani said that Trade Promotion Organization is determined to launch a unified center for decision-making on the exports affairs, adding that if the authorities of Supreme Council of Non-Oil Exports Development returns to the council according to the Constitutions, then the condition for exports will improve.
On the significance of the council, he said that exports is an issue which have involved several executive bodies in the country due to its vastness and the council can be a link between the executive and decision-making bodies.
He added that the TPO is after creating new exports markets, adding that due to recent investments in fields like steel and petrochemical, the country’s exports have distanced from traditional exports like dried fruits and carpet, and new products like industrial, petrochemical, steel, home appliances, convertible industries have joined Iran’s exports basket.
Ardekani added that creating diversity in exports needs investment in production sector, adding that over 4,000 items of products are exported but national exports are only focused on less than 300 items of goods and it indicates that the country lacks diversity in its exports.
He also pointed to the agreement with Eurasian Union which was signed in November, calling it a good opportunity for exporters. He further said, “Our total exports to countries of the union like Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are valued at between 800 to 900 million dollars but our imports from those countries stand at around $1.7b. It means our total trade volume with those states is around $2.5b.”
He urged companies and exports enterprises to take advantage of this opportunity, adding that the TPO in its agreement with the union has received license for preferential tariffs for 360 items of goods, reiterating that the number of goods will increase in three years.
Ardekani said that the organization has set target to increase its current trade volume of $24b to $8b with the neighboring states.
