Lack of Export Vision and Surrendering Foreign Markets to Rivals

TEHRAN (Iran News) Madani emphasized the urgent need for the development and implementation of such an atlas, drawing on the successful experiences of countries like the UK, Canada, the US, Germany, and India. He said the absence of a national export map has led to inefficiencies in policymaking, misguided investments, and ultimately, the forfeiture of Iran’s rightful share in global trade.

“Manufacturers lack precise data on what goods are needed and in what quantities. Traders, in turn, must spend large sums to identify target markets—often entering them blindly, which has led to financial losses and even bankruptcy,” Madani explained.

Madani described the Export Atlas as a simplified but powerful tool that consolidates trade data into actionable insights for both state institutions and the private sector. He suggested that the first phase of the project should focus on evaluating export opportunities in neighboring and friendly countries less impacted by international sanctions.

“The Atlas is one of the most straightforward, effective, and rapidly implementable tools in export development. It allows for smart, cost-efficient, and impactful market entry and promotion,” he said.

He warned that without the Atlas, Iranian companies often attend trade exhibitions that have little relevance to their products, wasting valuable time and resources. Similarly, commercial attachés are often deployed to countries with little export potential due to lack of proper analysis.

Madani provided a comparative overview of how other nations are using Export Atlases:

UK: Launched its Export Strategy through UK Export Finance in 2021, enabling projects like Turkey’s 1.35 GW solar power plant.

Canada: Initiated the Export Diversification Strategy in 2019, targeting a 50% increase in exports to new markets by 2025.

United States: Constantly updates its export platform (Export.gov) with tools like the Country Commercial Guides.

European Union: Uses the Access2Markets platform to offer tariff, standards, and market intelligence for SMEs.

India: Replaced older tools with the NIRYAT portal in 2021, offering real-time export data analysis.

Germany: The GTAI has issued regional export atlases focused on Asia-Pacific, guiding companies on market opportunities.

Malaysia, South Africa, Chile, and Vietnam: Have all adopted various data-driven platforms to enhance export potential and guide trade policy.

According to Madani, the success of the Export Atlas hinges on the coordinated efforts of multiple state bodies:

Presidential Office & Supreme Council for Non-Oil Exports: 10% strategic role; Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Trade (MIMT): 20% implementation role; Ministry of Economic Affairs & Finance: 13%, especially in funding and data infrastructure; Trade Promotion Organization of Iran: 11% technical mapping role; Central Bank of Iran: 9%, especially in forex policy and international payments; Iran Customs Administration: 7% as the main trade data processor; Planning & Budget Organization: 6%;   Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 5%, via economic diplomacy and on-ground verification;  Iran Chamber of Commerce: 5% representing private sector field insights; Export confederations and associations: 4%;    Economic Research Institute of the Ministry of Economy: 3%; Statistical Center of Iran: 3%; and Media and Data Analytics Platforms: 2% each for raising awareness and shaping public discourse

Madani concluded by stressing the need for Iran to leverage the upcoming 14th administration’s emphasis on expert-driven governance. He encouraged creative think tanks and media outlets to advocate for the creation of the Export Atlas as a key step toward reclaiming Iran’s place in international trade.

“With accurate data and strategic planning, we can outmaneuver rivals who lack Iran’s resource and knowledge advantages,” Madani said.