TEHRAN - Iran aims to boost exports of higher value-added goods to China and facilitate the sale of Iranian products through a Chinese online platform, the head of the country’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) said.

According to a statement from the TPO, Mohammad-Ali Dehghan Dehnavi, speaking at a meeting on the challenges facing Iran-China economic relations, described China as Iran’s top trading partner and a crucial commercial partner for many countries. “Trade with China is strategic and essential for Iran. The opportunities and potential in this area are significant, provided we concentrate more on it,” he said.

Dehnavi, who also serves as deputy industry, mining and trade minister, noted that the commercial opportunities in China surpass Iran’s total trade with many other countries combined. “There is no doubt that major achievements are possible in China,” he said.

Outlining the TPO’s foreign trade goals, Dehnavi stressed the need to shift from exporting raw materials to higher-value products. “A significant portion of our exports to China consists of raw materials. Even without marketing efforts, buyers are coming to Iran for these goods,” he said.

“But the real impact will come when we export goods that are further down the production chain. While raw material exports do generate foreign currency and attract investment, the goal should be to produce and export more industrial goods,” he added.

Acknowledging that exporting to China, the world’s manufacturing powerhouse, may appear challenging, Dehnavi argued that with the right strategies, it is achievable. “Through joint investment, integration into the global value chain—much of which runs through China—and technological cooperation, Iran can boost its exports of high value-added products to China,” he said.

EF/MA