TEHRAN (Iran News) – In a trade webinar between Iran and Tanzania, both countries explored ways to remove hurdles in way of bilateral trade and called for removing banking and transportation hurdles.

Head of Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) Mr. Paul Koyi, Iran’s charge d’affaires to Tanzania Mr. Hossein Alvandi, Director of Arab-Africa Department of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce Shahram Khasipour as well as some economic activists of the two countries were present.

Iran’s Charge d’Affaires Mr. Alvandi addressing the webinar pointed to good political relations between the two states and said there are diverse grounds in the field of goods trade and investment for economic activists of the two states. He then pointed to membership of Tanzania in the East African economic community and said this is a good opportunity for Iranian traders for access to the East African markets because Iranians can enter this market through easing tariffs.

Alvandi also pointed to the restrictions in banking relation between the two countries and said Tanzania sets no restriction for trade with Iran and it has never sanctioned Iran but since their banking system is private and mainly foreign banks, they decide based on their own interests and Tanzanian government cannot meddle in, therefore he proposes bartering trade but so far no solution has been found for this mechanism. He reiterated that Iran’s trade with Tanzania rose by 120% last year.

Then Mr. Koyi, for his part, pointed to the historic ties between the two states and termed Iran an important and developed country in the region and announced interest of the TCCIA for broadening economic ties between the private sectors of the two states.

He said that energy, petrochemical, mines and agriculture of the most important fields for cooperation between economic activists of the two states and called for more presence of Iranian companies in the economic projects in Tanzania.

Then Director of Arab-Africa Department of Iran Chamber of Commerce Mr. Khasipour pointed to the significance of Tanzania and called it the gateway for reaching the East Africa.

He called for creating legal infrastructures by governments of the two countries in the customs, investment, transportation and banking services for their support from the private sectors of the two states.

He reiterate that banking and transportation problems are main hurdles in way of broadening economic ties between Tehran and Tanzania and its removal is prerequisite for boosting ties, and said last year the trade volume between Tehran and Dar-es Salaam was only $70m which is very insignificant regarding their existing capacities.

He also called for exchange of trade delegation or holding joint exhibition for better acquaintance of economic activists of the two sides.