Alireza Peyman-Pak made the remarks during a visit to a knowledge-based medical equipment production company in Tehran on Saturday.

The TPO head’s visit to the mentioned company comes as, during Peyman-Pak’s recent visit to Serbia, the authorities of this country had expressed interest in the import of knowledge-based products, especially medical equipment from Iran.

Peyman-Pak said Eastern European countries can be a gateway for the entry of Iranian products into the European Union, adding: “Meanwhile, the formation of a medical equipment export consortium will ensure the presence of qualified traders and companies in the destination markets to promote and maintain Iran’s reputation and brand.”

During the visit to the company, the official emphasized the government’s complete support for the production and export of knowledge-based products.

He further stressed Serbia’s interest in trade with Iran and said: “Trade Promotion Organization is doing everything in its power for the presence of knowledge-based companies in new and green markets like Serbia.”

The TPO head also announced reaching an agreement with Russia’s Sberbank to support joint production of knowledge-based products in Russia and called this an effective step to solve the problems of knowledge-based product manufacturers to be present in other countries.

He stressed the need to remove obstacles to the production and export of knowledge-based products and said: “Today, various countries have realized the quality of Iranian knowledge-based products, and for this reason, in meetings and negotiations, they demand imports, joint investments, and launching production lines in their countries.”

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Photo:  TPO Head Alireza Peyman-Pak (C) visits a medical equipment manufacturing company in Tehran.

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“Once the relationship between the two countries’ traders is established, the organization will make every effort to support the continuation of these collaborations,” Peyman-Pak said.

Referring to the recent visit of an Iranian trade delegation to Qatar, the official said that one of the first steps in developing trade with other countries is to establish trade between the two countries’ businessmen and private sectors.

The TPO head further expressed dissatisfaction with the current level of economic relations between the two countries and said: “Despite close political relations with Iran, Qatar has a very low share in trade with the Islamic Republic, and if we look at the trade balance between the two countries, the figure is very low and insignificant.”

The traders of the two countries must be acquainted with each other’s capacities in order to form a constructive trade relationship, and the TPO also supports and provides the requirements in this regard including logistics, customs, monetary, financial, and banking facilities.

Peyman-Pak further pointed to the visit of the Iranian trade delegation to Qatar and noted that this was the largest Iranian trade delegation visiting this country in the history of Iran-Qatar relations.

Headed by Iranian Energy Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian, a high-ranking delegation of Iranian government officials, including Sports Minister Hamid Sajjadi and TPO Head Alireza Peyman-Pak, and ICCIMA Head Gholam-Hossein Shafeie, arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on June 5 to hold talks with senior Qatari officials and attend the two country’s eighth Joint Economic Committee meeting.

The two sides inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the end of their Joint Economic Committee meeting on June 6 to outline avenues for future cooperation.

The MOU was signed by Mehrabian and Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Qassim Al-Thani who co-chaired the meeting.

This memorandum determines the framework of cooperation in various fields including transit, transportation, industry and trade, energy, customs, and free zones, tourism, culture, agriculture, sports, etc.

The businessmen of the two countries also signed eight MOUs on food, medical industry, knowledge-based companies, etc. on the sidelines of the mentioned meeting.

Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) and Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry also inked an MOU to form a Joint Economic Council.

The document was signed by Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and his Iranian Counterpart Gholam-Hossein Shafeie.

In another event held on the sidelines of the two countries’ Joint Economic Committee meeting, Peyman-Pak held talks with the private sector representatives of the two countries to discuss trade related issues and challenges.

Speaking in this meeting, he expressed the Iranian government’s determination to fully support Qatari traders and investors who decide to do business in Iran.

“Holding joint meetings between businessmen and private sectors of the two countries is one of the issues emphasized by the governments of Iran and Qatar, and both countries are working to establish stable trade relations,” the official said.

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Marketing strategies and methods, cultural awareness, and the trade-related laws and regulations of Pakistan are among the subjects covered in this workshop which is due to be held on June 12.

The TPO has held several business training workshops with different countries, however, the training workshop with Pakistan is the first such event that is attended by TPO Head Alireza Peyman-Pak, ambassadors of the two countries, economic and trade advisors of the two countries, and officials of Pakistani and Iranian chambers of commerce.

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“We are trying to shift export incentives to knowledge-based companies in the current year,” Peyman-Pak said in a press conference on Monday.

As TPO reported, emphasizing the use of innovative methods in foreign trade, the official said: “The development of online businesses, development of creative industries, the use of business-to-business (B2B) systems and activities in the field of cryptocurrencies and the transition from traditional to modern trading will be pursued in this regard.”

Exports of value-added products on agenda

He further referred to his organization’s programs for promoting the exports of products with more value-added and the prevention of crude sales, saying: “In this regard, we tried to enter the target markets and increase export profits by taking advantage of business-to-consumer (B2C) platforms and applications, and by connecting to distribution networks and retailers.”

Emphasizing the importance of export-oriented production, Peyman-Pak said: “We have tried to have an export-oriented approach in the areas where we have an advantage, and not in such a way that only surplus consumption is exported.”

New measures taken to promote foreign trade

The official also underlined the measures taken to remove barriers in the way of foreign trade, noting: “TPO has taken new steps in various areas including customs, support for traders abroad, the active presence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issuing visas, focusing on foreign trade issues in joint committee meetings, signing new agreements on trade laws and regulations and efforts have been made to pay special attention to the support of foreign trade in the country’s macro-policy outlooks.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Peyman-Pak stressed the need for coordination among government entities related to foreign trade, saying: “Laws and regulations that protect domestic economic sectors should not be in conflict with foreign trade and the necessary coordination should be made between domestic market regulation policies and foreign trade development policies.”

The TPO head also mentioned the activation of trade corridors, including the north-south and east-west corridors by the Transport and Urban Development Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said: “Due to the activation of these corridors and the creation of new foreign trade opportunities, the country’s income from this sector increased 2.5 times last year.”

Exporting $20b of technical services targeted

Referring to the growth of the exports of technical and engineering services, he said: “The exports of technical and engineering services which was $480 million in the year 1399 (ended on March 20, 2021) reached more than $2.3 billion last year, and considering new contracts that have been signed the increase in the exports of such services will continue in the current year.”

According to Peyman-Pak, TPO has targeted exporting $20 billion of technical and engineering services, of which this year $6 billion is expected to be realized.

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Speaking in the brainstorming meeting with heads of chambers of commerce and some of exporters, he pointed to the significance of Expo 2020 Dubai for Iranian traders to boost their interaction with their partners in other countries and called for more talks and exchange of views between domestic producers and exporters with their counterparts in other countries. He then pointed to the strategy of the TPO and Industry ministry for promoting the foreign trade and said the organization has tried to have more exchange of views with the private sector and business activists.

Payman Pak said Iran’s share of imports of the neighboring countries that it does not have any problem with them is very insignificant and the organization is doing its best to reform the infrastructures and remove hurdles to increase Iran’s share of the neighboring states’ markets.

He added that the major problems of the organization will be to materialize $35b export target in the next four years with emphasis on developing the non-oil exports, boosting relations and interactions with neighboring states, reforming the trade and export balance, coordinating the trade and forex policies, increasing industrial competitiveness and completing the chain of provision and value.

Payman Pak then pointed to the priorities of the country for increasing exports and said in order to meet the export goals, export markets have been divided into two groups of first and second priorities, adding that due to the restrictions in resources, the first priority for promoting the foreign trade is to trade with neighboring states as well as India and China.

He added that according to the conducted studies at the TPO, there is a $100b capacity for Iran’s exports to the target countries which have been planned based on the priorities and advantages existing in the market.

He then pointed to defining 14 infrastructural projects for promoting the exports and said they are managing the trade events in the form of fairs, reforming the structure of the TPO, boosting the capacity of commercial attaches, using the capacity of the private sector, making permanent the trade agreements, financing export activities and chains if financing and reviving the logistic routes, activating the air transport lines, resolving the forex challenges and regulations in the export sector, improving the commercial dimension of 25-year agreement with China, reinforcing the Export Guarantee Fund and reliance insurance, improving the brands and capabilities of exporters, developing trade centers and border markets with the target markets.

Payman Pak then pointed to defining 11 corridors and especial trade channel with the target countries and said using the import capacities of Russia, activating the export consortium and resolving export challenges with different countries are of the other programs of the TPO.

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Piltan said that according to the policies of the organization to ease the presence of Iranian companies and products in the target markets for exports and according to the approval for the launch of the trade centers overseas, the organization is to set up trade centers in the UAE and Uganda which will be carried out by the private sector.

He said these centers are to be launched by the private sector but they will be under supervision of the TPO. Piltan added that those who want to launch trade centers in the target countries for trade with Iran can apply and after getting the license they will have to launch the centers in one year.

He added that these centers abroad will offer services like consultation and legal and marketing services, warehouse, place for displaying the products, business tourism services and holding trade events and conferences.

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Speaking to ILNA and touching upon the possibility of Iran’s joining to the Shanghai Pact, Modoudi said that the sooner Iran becomes member of the regional blocs the more it will benefit, adding that it is necessary to increase our shares in the regional pacts in the current condition. He noted that currently Iran’s share of the regional pacts is insignificant and it is a very big weakness for Iran’s economy and trade.

Modoudi said that the Shanghai Pact is a very important pact in the South East Asia and there is a very big market in the region and at the same time member states of this pact enjoy high capacities for trade and therefore this is a very good opportunity for Iran. He admitted that although it is not so easy for Iran to join the Shanghai Pact, if Iran can overcome different political and economic issues hindering its membership in the pact, it will be a good opportunity for Iran’s trade to create a good capacity economically.

He went on to say that one of the important obstacles is the banking problem and banking connection needs membership of the FATF or membership in the monetary pacts. He said international affairs have been affected by the sanctions and most of the goods are under sanctions and this hinders having proper trade relation with the trade.

Modoudi said that most countries are not willing to risk trade with Iran to avoid the U.S. punishment because for them trade with the U.S. is more important.

He also said that for presence in the international markets for exports, Iran should improve quality of its products and without taking such a measure, it will be impossible to increase the export volume and the country should improve the required capacities for improving quality.

Modoudi admitted that in the past, there has been no proper measure for improving the quality and capacity for international competition and only few products are high quality, adding that except petrochemical, steel or some mining products which are good quality, the country has fallen behind in boosting and promoting other products.

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Addressing the meeting, Hamid Zadboum said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was the first official who felicitated Iranian president-elect Hojjatoleslam Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, adding that this indicates the beginning for a new era and more cooperation with Russia. He expressed hope that the private sectors of Iran and Russia make the most of this expansion of political relations of the two states.

Zadboum then pointed to his recent visit to Saint Petersburg and the interest of Russian traders for cooperation with their Iranian counterparts, and called for more talks and finding practical solutions for developing the joint relation and cooperation for removing the probable hurdles.

He also reiterated that the relation between the two countries through cooperation of provinces and chambers of commerce of the provinces is necessary and it was decided the both sides to exchange necessary information to develop their trade cooperation.

Then head of head of union of industry and commerce chambers of Tver Province of Russia Mr. Shurkov Vladislav, for his part, expressed his gratitude over the hospitality and coordination of Iranians, adding that the visit of Iran’s ambassador to Tver Province and his new ideas encouraged this delegation from Tver Province to visit Tehran and to attend in this biggest event of Eurasia Expo 2021 which was held in Tehran.

He also expressed his satisfaction for attending the Eurasia EXPO in Tehran and expressed hope that the achievements in the exhibition would boost the trade between the province and Iran.

Then Vladislav briefed the Iranian sides of the potentials of companies of Tver Province and called for removing all hurdles in way of expansion of bilateral cooperation.

Meanwhile an expert on Russia’s affairs claimed yesterday that the trade volume between Iran and Russia is practically less than $2b while the amount of the signed agreement between the two countries is valued at over $25b.

Speaking to ILNA, Shoeib Bahman said that during the past years, one of the biggest challenges between Iran and Russia has been the expansion of trade relation because the trade volume between Iran and Russia has always been below $2b which is not a significant amount in the international trade.

He went on to say that for example, the trade volume between Turkey and Russia is over $30b while the two sides are planning to boost it to $100b and this is a determining factor in the political issues.

He then touched upon the reasons behind lack of growth in trade relation between Iran and Russia and said this issue has different reasons and one factor is that Iranians have not identified properly the capacities of Russian market, noting that unfortunately a notion has been shaped in the country that Russia has no capacity for exports that it is a wrong idea. Bahman further said that on the imports from Russia, this idea exists that Russian products are not good technologically and they are inferior comparing to their Western likes while if the technology of Russian products Russian is not better than the Western countries’, it is definitely not worse than them.

Bahman added that Iran and Russia have signed many agreements which are estimated to be valued at over $25b but practically, the trade volume between the two states is less than $2b.

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According to the public relations of the TPO, in the meeting, Mr. Zadboum enumerated potential capacities for cooperation between the two countries in the fields like mining, petrochemical, medical industries, agro industries, machine-manufacturing industries, auto-making and extraterrestrial cultivation, and underscored the reinforcement of bilateral cooperation more than ever.

Zadboum then pointed to the great opportunities between the two countries regarding the increase of trade exchanges and called for enhancing bartering trade between Tehran and Brasilia and balancing the trade balance. He also expressed hope that with the decline in the number of the COVID-19 casualties   in Brazil, and said with containing the virus, the possibility for more cooperation in the medical sector is very important.

He also urged Brazil to share its experiences with Iran for easing Iran’s membership at the World Trade Organization, and by pointing to the capacities of APEX, equivalent to Iran’s TPO in Brazil, called for more cooperation between these two economic bodies and signing MoUs for cooperation in the near future.

Meanwhile Brazilian envoy Goncalves de Aguiar Neto, for his part, expressed his country’s interest to broaden all-out bilateral ties with Iran and emphasized the necessity for pursuing the trade and interests for trade exchange,  and called the launch of the Joint Iran-Brazil Chamber office in Sao Paulo a good opportunity for expanding trade relations of the two states and termed important holding the joint economic trade events.

He then emphasized more cooperation between Iran and Brazil in the future like extension of MoU on cooperation in the mining sector between the two states and called for participation of economic activists of his country at Tehran’s agro-food exhibition.

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According to Mahmoud Bazari, director-general of TPO’s Export Coordination Office for agro crops and processing industry products, saffron accounted for 53 percent of the total value of the exports with 52 tons of the products worth $26 million exported in the first quarter of the current year.

Some 4,000 tons of teas worth four million dollars were also exported during this period, which compared to the same period last year increased by 728 percent in value and 642 percent in weight.

Saffron, licorice root and extract, cut flowers and flower buds, as well as other ornamental plants, medicinal plants, tea, and other products including fodder plants and industrial herbs, were among the items exported in this sector.

China, UAE, Spain, Pakistan, Iraq, and Germany were among the major export markets for these products in the mentioned period.

Based on the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science and Technology data, Iran earns some $500 million annually by exporting medicinal herbs, of which about $350 million is related to saffron and the rest is the share of other medicinal herbs.

Iran is one of the world’s top saffron producers and over 90 percent of its production is exported to foreign destinations.

Iranian saffron farmers exported 324.589 tons of products worth over $190 million to 60 foreign destinations during the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), according to the Spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) Rouhollah Latifi.

Based on a multilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Iran’s Planning and Budget Organization (PBO) and three of the country’s banks in early October 2020, 10 trillion rials (about $238.09 million) was allocated for supporting the saffron industry.

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