TEHRAN - The head of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) has announced that the country aims to expand its commercial centers in target countries, stating that the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) is also on board, and it has been decided to establish a major trade center in Russia.

Speaking in a session to elaborate on the actions taken after signing the free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, Mohammad Ali Dehghan Dehnavi highlighted the goal of enhancing Iranian brands abroad. He stated, "Our commercial centers must allow Iranian exporters to directly supply their goods to the final consumer at the destination, effectively having a presence in the shopping centers."

He added that the National Brand Commission has been transferred from the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Trade to the Trade Promotion Organization, emphasizing that Iran plans to enhance the branding of its products for stronger market presence.

Dehghan Dehnavi expressed hope that these initiatives and controls would maximize the benefits from trade agreements with other countries.

Regarding the free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, he referred to it as a major achievement, noting that it connects Iran to the markets of five countries in Eurasia, with a total trade volume of around 850 to 900 billion dollars.

The TPO head explained that the agreement is an excellent tool for mitigating the effects of sanctions and will help overcome some of the restrictions imposed due to unfair sanctions.

He pointed out that other countries are also observers in the regional union, but none have an agreement like Iran’s, which reflects the desire of the union's members to collaborate with Iran. Therefore, he stressed the importance of utilizing this agreement to its fullest potential.

Dehghan Dehnavi emphasized that the free trade agreement offers significant opportunities, and the country that makes the best use of them will gain the most. He also expressed that increasing imports is not necessarily harmful if sourced from reputable suppliers at fair prices and good quality, though he believes that boosting exports offers greater advantages for the country.

He also mentioned the inclusion of protective measures in the agreement to allow countries to take steps to protect their domestic production if increased imports harm local industries.

The official revealed that Iran is currently in negotiations with over ten countries to sign preferential or free trade agreements, with some talks nearing completion.

He stated that if sanctions are lifted, these agreements could provide even more benefits to the economy, as regional unions have become the main focus of global trade, especially in light of the U.S. withdrawing from numerous international pacts in recent years.

The head of the Trade Promotion Organization emphasized that Iran should aim to define its role in cooperating with these unions or in securing permanent membership in them.

Dehghan Dehnavi also noted the establishment of the first secretariat for the Iran-Eurasia agreement within the Trade Promotion Organization. He mentioned that the secretariat was officially created with the President's commitment during the Eurasian exhibition. This secretariat will represent Iran in the Eurasian Union as the country holds observer status, and it will be fully involved in union meetings as Iran's representative.

He further explained that the secretariat will be responsible for studying, monitoring, and analyzing developments in this area, with commercial attachés from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assisting in the process. He noted that while many countries engaged in trade with Iran have numerous commercial attachés, Iran itself only has one in many of these countries, underscoring the need to expand its infrastructure in this regard.

EF/