TEHRAN – A Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) delegation visiting the Plast Eurasia 2025 exhibition in Istanbul met with senior officials of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, proposing strategic partnerships between Iranian and Turkish private-sector companies, particularly in technology-driven sectors.

During the joint session, both sides highlighted the long-standing commercial ties between Iran and Turkey and agreed to strengthen industrial cooperation through B2B meetings and reciprocal expert delegations.

Mehmet Akif Meral, director of international and EU affairs at the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, introduced the body as an institution with 23,000 members established in 1923. He described past cooperation with Iran as positive, citing a 2013 business mission to Tehran and multiple meetings in recent years on technology, energy and industry.

He said the chamber maintains extensive links with Europe and neighboring markets and actively participates in global exhibitions, including major events in Chicago and the Netherlands.

Meral outlined measures taken in response to U.S. tariff shifts, noting that the chamber supports Turkish manufacturers through market advisory services, specialized training and e-commerce development programs. He added that 40 percent of Turkey’s exports go to Europe, where the chamber plays a central role in maintaining industrial ties.

Hervik Yarijaniyan, head of the TCCIMA Industry and Mining Committee, said current trade levels fall short of the two countries’ long-standing economic links. He called for closer coordination between the Tehran Chamber and the Istanbul Chamber of Industry and invited a Turkish industrial delegation to visit Tehran.

Hesameddin Hallaj, deputy for international affairs and trade development at the TCCIMA, pointed to Iran’s renewed industrial momentum after difficult economic years. He said the current environment is suitable for joint ventures and shared manufacturing projects.

Highlighting the zero-tariff and reduced-tariff opportunities available to Iran under its free-trade framework with the Eurasian Economic Union, he encouraged Iranian and Turkish businesses to pursue co-export strategies in plastics and polymers, textiles and apparel, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food products.

Meral noted that Iranian companies hold competitive strengths in several technology domains and can form strategic alliances with Turkish producers. He said shifting global supply chains and rising logistics costs have made Turkey an attractive base for regional industrial cooperation. He cited broad collaboration potential in electrical equipment, parts manufacturing, machinery, home appliances, electronics, fisheries and caviar.

He added that at the upcoming Moscow exhibition, where Turkey will field 200 booths, the chamber can help connect Turkish companies with Iranian partners.

Plast Eurasia 2025, one of the region’s leading plastic-industry exhibitions, hosted participants from dozens of countries in Istanbul.

The Tehran Chamber of Commerce operated a dedicated pavilion and held multiple meetings to showcase Iran’s industrial capacities and expand bilateral business links.

Meanwhile, dring the side programs of the TCCIMA’s delegation at the Plast Eurasia Istanbul exhibition, a meeting was held between this delegation and a group of board members and managers of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce.

In this meeting, both sides, referring to the longstanding friendly, cultural, and economic relations between Iran and Turkey, emphasized strengthening connections through the exchange of trade delegations, participation in exhibitions, and joint investment.

Munur Ustun, a member of the executive board of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, referring to the memorandum of understanding signed between the two chambers last year, described the presence of Iranian companies in Turkey and specialized exhibitions as valuable and stated: “The current volume of trade between the two countries falls short of the existing potential.”

He then addressed the impact of global economic developments and the constraints caused by sanctions, and emphasizing the need to facilitate the foreign trade environment and create a secure path for private sector cooperation, said that direct meetings between merchants are an important step to compensate for shortcomings.

Addressing the meeting, Hervik Yarijaniyan, head of the TCCIMA Industry and Mining Committee, stated that with over 47,000 members, this chamber has extensive capacity for cooperation with Turkish economic actors, adding: “The social, political, and cultural relations between the two countries are at a high level, but the level of trade exchange does not correspond with these realities. Therefore, through the exchange of trade delegations, participation in exhibitions, and joint investment, cooperation between the two countries can be strengthened.”

He also invited the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce to travel to Tehran as a trade delegation to further expand the grounds for joint cooperation.

Subsequently, Hesameddin Hallaj, deputy for international affairs and trade development at the TCCIMA, referring to the continuous dispatch of trade delegations in recent years and the active presence of the Tehran Chamber at Plast Eurasia 2025, said: “Face-to-face dialogues between Iranian and Turkish actors can lead to the development of economic relations.”

He also announced the continuation of cooperation between the two chambers based on last year's memorandum of understanding and expressed hope that the Tehran Chamber would soon host a delegation of Turkish merchants.

During this meeting, Kamran Davari-Nikou, Consul General of Iran in Istanbul, referring to the increase in the trade between the two countries to $19.4 billion, said the diversity of Iran's export goods to Turkey has increased from 700 items in previous years to 1,383 items.

Referring to the presence of 45 Iranian companies at the Plast Eurasia exhibition and several dispatched trade delegations, he described this trend as a sign of the high potential for economic cooperation between Iran and Turkey.

Uzcan Tokul, Deputy Secretary General of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, in his remarks, deemed the current trade volume between Iran and Turkey insufficient and stated that the Istanbul Chamber would seriously continue its policy of receiving and supporting Iranian trade delegations.

At the end of this meeting, it was also decided that the Tehran Chamber of Commerce would prepare the groundwork for a trade delegation from the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce to travel to Tehran through official correspondence.

The Plast Eurasia Istanbul 2025 exhibition, as one of the largest polymer and plastics industry events in the region, was held this year with extensive participation from international companies.

The Tehran Chamber of Commerce, by setting up a pavilion, has provided a platform for introducing the capabilities of the country's polymer industry, holding specialized meetings, negotiating with actors in this industry, and developing trade cooperation.

EF/MA