Senior Iranian and Turkish trade officials held talks in Tehran on ways to deepen economic ties, with Iran’s Chamber of Commerce calling for tariff reforms to unlock the two countries’ trade potential.Hamed Asgari, deputy for international affairs at the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), told Turkish commercial attachés that the current level of trade is “not satisfactory” and urged a revision of tariff policies to strengthen bilateral economic relations.He said Iran and Turkey have the capacity to expand trade to between $15 billion and $20 billion annually, but tariff barriers and restrictions have prevented Iranian goods from reaching their full potential in the Turkish market. Products such as cement and clinker were cited as key examples.Asgari emphasized Iran’s comparative advantages in energy and competitive goods and called for faster, less bureaucratic cooperation between Iranian and Turkish firms, especially in sectors such as steel and petrochemicals. He also stressed the need to leverage the Turkish embassy’s support to facilitate tariff reform and boost bilateral exchanges.The Turkish delegation, including commercial attachés Bilge Dinmez and Orhan, underlined the importance of removing trade barriers and clearing up commercial misunderstandings. They described Turkey as Iran’s “gateway to Europe” and highlighted extensive ties, including a large Iranian community in Turkey.They noted that preferential tariff negotiations between the two countries will resume soon and pointed to recent meetings of the joint commission and customs authorities.Asgari said ICCIMA, as an advisor to the government, is committed to working with the Turkish embassy’s economic section to address private sector concerns.He promised follow-up meetings between business communities from both countries to craft practical solutions and advance cooperation, particularly in strategic industries such as steel.The session concluded with plans to hold regular technical and expert meetings between ICCIMA and the Turkish embassy to drive trade development. Dinmez was introduced as the new commercial attaché at Turkey’s embassy in Tehran.As previously announced by Abolfazl Akbarpour, the deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) for planning and international affairs, Iran exported non-oil commodities valued at $6.8 billion to Turkey in the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, 2025.Akbarpour said that Turkey was Iran’s fourth top export destination in the previous year.Exporting commodities valued at $12.4 billion to Iran, Turkey was Iran’s third top source of import in that year, the official added.On April 14, the secretary of Iran’s Free Trade and Special Economic Zones High Council said that Iran is pursuing the creation of a joint free trade zone with Turkey, as part of broader efforts to resolve long-pending investment challenges and boost cooperation with neighboring countries.Speaking to Tasnim News Agency, Reza Masrour said a special task force has been formed to resolve unresolved projects that have lingered in Iran’s free zones for over 15 years. “We are actively following up on the establishment of a joint free trade zone with Turkey,” he noted, adding that a joint working group between Iran and Turkey will take charge of advancing the plan. (ICE TEHERAN)

Fonte notizia: Tehran Times