The head of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture said that $128 million worth of technical and engineering services were exported to Iraq in the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-September 22), which is not an appropriate figure.Yahya Ale-Eshaq stated that an annual export of $300 to $400 million in technical and engineering services is not a good statistic; this capacity must be increased.He continued: If Iraq's capacities in the technical and engineering sector are not utilized, other competitors will enter this market.Noting that last year Iran's exports to Iraq amounted to $12 billion, he said that the unofficial export statistics are $15 billion.The head of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture further said: “At some points, we had $4 billion in technical and engineering services per year, but now this figure has reached $300 to $400 million.”He said that Iraq is the second destination for Iran's exports after China and added: The Prime Minister of Iraq has announced that Iraq has implemented a total of about 88 engineering projects. According to this report, Iraq has utilized about $100 billion of its own resources as well as foreign investments in these projects.Ale-Eshaq continued: “In this field, knowledge and technical expertise play an important role, and there are many opportunities for development and activity in this area.”Emphasizing that 70 percent of services in Iraq are imported, he said: “Technical knowledge and engineering services are areas with high potential, and we hope these capacities will be utilized.”The head of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture stated that a memorandum of understanding with the Iranian Association of Oil Industry Equipment Manufacturers in the field of technical and engineering services is being signed to facilitate progress in this area.The export of technical and engineering services creates dependency in the target market, according to Payam Bagheri, the deputy head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA).He stated that the nature of exporting technical and engineering services is different, adding: “This type of export leads to dependency in the target market and generates wealth, which results in sustainable economic development.”On October 13, Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), and the Association of Exporters of Technical and Engineering Services signed a tripartite memorandum of cooperation aimed at forming a joint committee to expand Iran’s export capacity in technical and engineering services.The initiative, pursued by ICCIMA’s Committee for Technical, Engineering and Construction Services, seeks to revitalize Iran’s presence in regional markets by removing obstacles, coordinating with financial institutions, and streamlining export procedures. A representative from the Central Bank of Iran also attended the signing ceremony, expressing readiness to cooperate in implementing the agreement. (ICE TEHERAN)

Fonte notizia: Tehran Times