Ground Ripe for Launching Megastores in Latin America
Ground Ripe for Launching Megastores in Latin America
Head of the Commission for Trade Development and Non-Oil Export Development of Iran Chamber of Cooperatives Babak Afghahi believes the ground is ready for Iran.

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Head of the Commission for Trade Development and Non-Oil Export Development of Iran Chamber of Cooperatives Babak Afghahi believes the ground is ready for Iran to launch megastores in the Latin American states, adding that the work on promoting Iranian goods in those countries continue.

Speaking to ILNA, Afghahi said that before launching chain stores or centers for direct sales of Iranian goods, it requires infrastructure and thorough studies.

He also delved into more details of launching a direct shipping line to South Africa and Latin American countries in near future and said the line is to be launched aimed at reducing the cost of trade between Iran and its exporting destinations in Africa and Latin America, adding that the requests for launching this shipping line have come from cooperatives of Iran and those countries as well as different trade layers of the countries.

He noted that currently most of Iran’s cargos are exported to those countries via cross stuffing in Jebel Ali (changing containers); it means cargos are exported to the UAE and Jebel Ali and through cross stuffing they are exported to the target destinations and this increases the cost of transshipment vary considerably and it also increases the trade risk between Iran and other countries.

Afghani noted that for this reason after talks with the CEO of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line Group (IRISL), it was decided to launch a direct and regular line between Iran, Africa, and Brazil.

He went on to say that Iran’s private sector is to export its goods via the southern ports with a stopover in one of the ports of South Africa and then they will be sent to the ports of Latin American states. He reiterated that this direct line can give services on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.

On the date of the first dispatch, Afghahi said as soon as the capacity of the 50,000-ton vessel is completed, the operation of this direct shipping line will begin.

He said in Latin America, countries like Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador, and some more countries will be the destinations of this ship during the journey, adding that of course, the trade volume with Brazil is incomparable with other countries in this region.

He also said that Brazil is one of Iran’s major trade partner in supplying basic goods and livestock input  and this move will definitely lead to the increase in imports of the livestock input, adding ”our slogan is even if all the world sanction us, only trade and connection with Brazil is enough for us.”

Afghani further said that the trade volume between Iran and Brazil is some $3b per year and Iran mostly imports livestock input, corn, and soybean meal from Brazil.

 

  • source : IRAN NEWS