TEHRAN - Head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Samad Hassanzadeh criticized Turkey’s discriminatory trade regulations against Iranian goods which he believed were hindering the development of bilateral economic ties.

Hassanzadeh made the remarks in an online meeting on Tuesday with Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).

He expressed concern that some of Turkey's trade policies, especially its special tariffs on Iranian products compared to European goods, have created significant barriers. He emphasized that these measures are detrimental to the goal of increasing trade volume between the two nations, which is targeted to reach $30 billion.

He highlighted the issue of tariffs introduced in January on Iranian trucks at the Turkish border, which caused delays and a halt in the flow of goods. Though the issue was temporarily resolved through negotiations, Hassanzadeh said that the solution might not be permanent, and called for a lasting resolution to ensure the smooth movement of trucks across the border.

Hassanzadeh also discussed the plan to establish a joint chamber of commerce between Iran and Turkey, expressing readiness to finalize the necessary arrangements for signing the agreement.

In response, Rifat Hisarciklioglu confirmed that the joint chamber will be inaugurated in March and invited Hassanzadeh to attend the opening ceremony.

Hisarciklioglu also requested that the Iranian side provide a list of products facing trade obstacles, to be addressed in discussions with Turkey's Minister of Trade. He acknowledged some of the restrictions affecting bilateral trade and pledged to work towards resolving them, including the issue of Iranian truck traffic at the border.

The two sides agreed to continue their discussions in a bid to overcome the challenges impeding trade and enhance economic cooperation.

EF/MA