TEHRAN (Iran News) In an interview, Mohammad Taheri, President of the Iran-Spain Joint Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the dual nature of challenges facing Iranian exports to Spain: internal obstacles within Iran and external constraints tied to European regulations. He stressed that overcoming these challenges is key to fostering sustainable trade relations between the two countries.

According to recent customs data, Iran’s exports to Spain mainly include bitumen, saffron, hand-woven carpets, pistachios, and shrimp. While these products hold traditional value, Taheri pointed out their lack of diversity in terms of added value, technology, and consumer market scope. He called for a strategic overhaul of Iran’s export basket to better align with Spain’s market needs.

Comparative studies conducted by the Joint Chamber have identified significant untapped potential in sectors such as creative industries, high-tech and knowledge-based products, herbal medicines and export-oriented teas, industrial design, renewable energy technologies, and technical-engineering services. Taheri highlighted Spain’s appetite for culturally diverse and Eastern-inspired designs, suggesting that Iranian consulting, architecture, and interior design services could serve as a competitive edge.

However, he added that realizing these opportunities requires well-defined operational strategies, product standardization, competitive branding for the European market, and stronger institutional ties with specialized Spanish organizations.

Exports to Spain face two main types of structural barriers: Inefficient and costly transportation systems; Lack of internationally recognized insurance options; Limited export incentives;     Difficulties in financial transactions; Fragmented licensing processes and absence of a one-stop export services authority; Restrictions on opening letters of credit due to sanctions; Complex EU regulations, including compliance with CE Mark standards; technical and tariff barriers for non-European goods; and Poor media representation and lack of a professional brand image for Iranian products

Taheri emphasized the need for a policy shift toward supporting high-value non-oil exports. He identified collaboration with European institutions, particularly ICEX (Spain’s national export and investment agency), as a strategic priority. ICEX currently offers targeted support to Spanish firms entering the Middle Eastern market, and Iran should seek reciprocal access.

Taheri called on government entities to: Establish a dedicated Europe Trade Desk; Revise incentive policies for hard-to-access markets; Create a unified export licensing window; and Support international digital branding platforms.

He also advocated for: Specialized trade guarantee funds for Europe; Improved joint logistical infrastructure; Coordination among ministries, the Trade Promotion Organization, Iran Chamber of Commerce, and joint chambers; and Strategic Engagement by the Iran-Spain Chamber; To advance trade ties, the Iran-Spain Chamber is actively moving beyond traditional methods. Initiatives include dispatching specialized trade delegations to Spain to engage with associations, regional chambers, buyers, and government bodies.

The Chamber has also drafted regulations to establish expert working groups, guiding members toward actionable internationalization strategies. Ongoing programs include:

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TEHRAN (Iran News) Nima Andarz, who emerged from the FC Kia academy, made his name in Iranian football before being selected for the national U-17 team.

The 18-year-old footballer has signed a four-year contract with Leganés, competing in Spain’s LaLiga.

Andarz began his journey with Leganés by training with the club’s second team.

However, he recently suffered an injury during a training camp with the Iranian U-17 team in Dubai. He is currently in recovery and undergoing individual training to regain his fitness.

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The ICCIMA in collaboration with Iran-Spain Joint Chamber will hold the event on July 17 and the forum will host officials of economic section of Embassy of Spain in Tehran where the participants will get familiar with the demands of Spain’s market and advantages of investment in the country as wee as knowing the trade regulations in this country.

All economic activists who are keen for trade in Spain can attend the event by registering through contact with the chamber.

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According to the reports, in this three-day webinar, participating companies exchange views on trade in the field of wireless and radio system, cosmetics and hygienic products and fertilizers.

Iranian companies have been invited to attend this webinar which is aimed at boosting trade between Iran and Spain.

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In the meeting, deputy on international affairs of ICCIMA Mr. Alireza Yavari pointed to the many existing capacities in the trade ties between Iran and Spain and said that the fields exempted from sanctions are appropriate fields for increasing the trade volume between the two countries.

He added that there are possibilities to broaden cooperation in the non-sanctioned fields like agriculture, medicines, food stuff and some construction materials like tiles and ceramic as well as broadening tourism which are good items for strengthening bilateral ties.

Then Gil-Casares, for his part, pointed to the start of his mission in Tehran and pointed to the strategy of the commercial sector of the Embassy of Spain in support of active traders and increasing the trade volume, and added that one of the main problems in way of developing bilateral trade ties of both countries is the issue of banking ties and money transactions.

He expressed his optimism over the fate of the JCPOA revival talks and emphasized necessity for keeping the contacts in the current condition and termed positive and useful holding of webinars and online meetings for keeping these contacts.

Gil-Casares expressed the interests of Spanish companies for cooperation with their Iranian counterparts in Iran in the fields like renewable energies, rail transport and food stuff and stated that investment of Iranian companies in production of pistachio and saffron in Spain can have good profits for both parties.

He then called for dispatch of trade delegations from Iran Chamber of Commerce to visit exhibitions in Spain and meeting with their Spanish counterparts.

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Speaking to ILNA, Mr. Asghar Ahaniha said most of Iran’s exports to Europe are done through the intermediaries and for this reason, one cannot give exact details on the trade volume of Iran and Spain, adding that but Iran’s trade with Spain was 92.426m euros in 2019 which declined to 63.862m euros in 2020 due to the sanctions.

He went on to say since Iran in its foreign trade especially in Europe lacks banking transactions due sanctions and trade is conducted through forex shops, the trade volume with Europe is not considerable. He added that Iran has cooperation with Spain in some industries like tile and ceramic, medical products and oil and companies are working together in those fields but even these co-operations are not serious because Spanish companies are afraid of trade with Iran due to the U.S. sanctions and punishments  as well as the banking problem which has increased the cost of trade for economic activists.

Ahaniha went on to say that despite considerable commonalities between Iran and Spain and capacities for having good cooperation, unfortunately the level of trade and economic cooperation between Tehran and Madrid is insignificant and even the Covid pandemic has not improved it.

On putting the name of Spain on the list of export destination of Iranian luxury cars, he said Iran’s car exports have not matured enough yet to enter European markets because in Europe the luxury cars are sold with cheap prices than Iranians and entering this market needs creating some infrastructures in the country. He reiterated that as long as these infrastructures are not provided, Iran will not be able to enter Europe’s car market. He noted that most of Iran’s goods are exported to Spain indirectly and it is very limited number.

He added that Iran’s trade with Spain declined in 2020 comparing to 2019 and it slumped to 63.862m euros as industrial and technology products had major share of exports to Spain in 2020 which was valued at 17.889m euros.

Ahaniha went on to say that the most important export items to Spain in this period have been saffron, steel and iron, dried fruits, granite stone, marble, hygienic products and plastic raw materials. He stated Iran’s saffron goes indirectly to other countries like in Europe, for example it goes to Afghanistan and then it is re-exported.

He said Iran ranks seven among the Middle East states in terms of exports to Spain and Saudi Arabia tops the list while Iran was fifth in 2019 and before the slum in its trade with Spain. He said Iran’s imports from Spain were 225.768m euros in 2019 and it slumped to 205,614m euros in 2020.

Ahaniha went on to say that major imports of Iran from Spain were transportation and loading machineries, protecting agro products, food ingredients, equipment, feedstock, auto-parts, paper, steel and Iran.

He added that Iran ranked six among the Middle East states in terms of imports from Spain as Saudi Arabia topped the list.

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The meeting was held on the eve of Spain’s national day at the IT Commission of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mine and Agriculture (TCCIMA).

Addressing the meeting, President of Iran-Spain Joint Chamber of Commerce Mohammad Taheri referred to holding the virtual Iran-Spain Exhibition and also to the old relations between the countries, adding that the background for cooperation between Iran and Spain dates back to 400 years ago and since then, political and economic cooperation between the two states has continued.

He noted that in recent years and after the removal of sanctions, Spanish trade delegations, accompanied by three ministers, visited Tehran which shows the significance of trade relations with Iran for Spain.

Taheri added that with reimposing the U.S. sanctions against Iran, banking transactions became harder, adding that financial and monetary bodies in Spain are private and due to the sanctions, they are cautious in dealing with Iran because of the U.S. punishment. He said the approach of the banks is wrong and the chamber tries to solve this self-imposed sanction, noting that the condition that the U.S. has implemented in the financial market is in a way, depriving Iran of doing business activities.

He pointed to the trade capacity between the two states which is not in good condition currently but it can be improved by removal of sanctions and back to the normal condition, and the bilateral trade relation will improve. Taheri went on to say that in some issues the two countries can cooperate on the barter basis. He reiterated once the Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Capital Goods (SAMCG) which has office in Tehran was to define a process for financial cooperation but it was not operationalized.

He added that the second solution is the cooperation with the local banks which can expand the ground for cooperation, noting that the chamber attaches value to ties with Spain. He said Spain seeks deepening trade ties with Iran, adding that in Madrid, SAMCG is considered a pro-Iran entity and traders can take advantage of it but the coronavirus pandemic has worsened the condition.

Taheri went on to say that the trade exchange between Iran and Spain in the past years has hit around $3b but due to the restrictions because of the COVID-19, the figure has slumped to $3.15b and it is estimated the potential for bilateral trade between Iran and Spain is $5b.

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During the meeting, the two ministers discussed mutual cooperation in economic and trade areas, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

During the discussions, Zarif touched upon the great potential in both countries for bilateral economic cooperation, especially in the domain of trade exchanges as well as collaboration in the areas of oil and gas, agriculture, tourism infrastructure as well as air and sea transportation.

He underlined the need to improve and upgrade relations in those domains by removing the existing barriers and setting objectives to reach a status proportionate to the potentialities of both sides.

The Spanish minister, in turn, highlighted the significance of Tehran-Madrid relations, saying Spain is interested in boosting economic and trade ties with Iran within the framework of a roadmap for bilateral cooperation.

She expressed hope that a new era of economic cooperation will begin when the coronavirus crisis ends.

The chief Iranian diplomat has embarked on a tour of several European countries which began with a visit to Spain where he met with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Arancha Gonzalez Laya.

In his Thursday meeting with Laya, Zarif discussed the latest status of Tehran-Madrid relations in various political and economic fields.

Foreign Minister Zarif reviewed bilateral relations in different spheres, and said the potential for Iran-Spain economic cooperation is beyond the current level.

He then underlined the necessity of exploring avenues for promoting collaborations in different economic areas by removing some of the existing barriers.

Zarif also highlighted the significance of developing cooperation in the field of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the tourism industry and its infrastructure for activation of Iran-Spain economic relations.

The Iranian foreign minister elaborated on Tehran’s viewpoints regarding the regional issues, especially the need for intra-regional interaction among countries and other important issues of the region including Yemen, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Zarif further pointed to the recent developments in the occupied Palestine and the tough conditions faced by its people in the occupied territories, and stressed the necessity for cessation of the usurping Zionist regime’s brutish measures against the people of Palestine.

He also expounded on Iran’s viewpoint regarding the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Spanish foreign minister, in turn, described Iran’s position in the region as important, and elaborated on her country’s viewpoints regarding various issues including the JCPOA, the regional and bilateral issues.

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