As part of its ongoing specialized meetings with its members, the German-Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce hosted a group of managers and business representatives from the agriculture and food industry sectors.
The meeting was held at the Chamber’s premises in the presence of Shahin Asghari, President of the German-Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Arash Soltani, Arash Soltani, Member of the Chamber’s Presidium, and a group of prominent industrialists and entrepreneurs from Iran’s food industry. Topics including increasing food exports, developing markets for halal and organic products, facilitating financial transactions, technology transfer, the targeted participation of Iranian companies in German trade fairs, and the requirements for entering the German market were discussed and exchanged.
At the opening of the meeting, Shahin Asghari, referring to the importance of the food industry for the German-Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, stated: “Iran’s food industry has significant potential. However, we believe that during the JCPOA period, Iran should have been better prepared to take advantage of the economic opportunities that emerged at the time. Therefore, we believe that with the active participation of food industry stakeholders, there are strong prospects for expanding trade relations with Germany in this sector. The food industry is Iran’s largest export sector to Germany. Nevertheless, given the size of the German market in this field, Iran can count on expanding its trade interactions with Germany.”
Asghari also referred to Germany’s position as Iran’s most important trading partner in Europe and emphasized the considerable potential of the German market. Germany’s €32 billion in food imports and the Chamber’s role in increasing Iran’s share of this market were among the main topics discussed at the meeting.
In this context, the participants identified increasing Iran’s exports of halal products and expanding its presence in the organic products market as important objectives. They also emphasized the need to identify practical solutions for Iranian companies to enter the German market despite the restrictions and challenges arising from sanctions.
Arash Soltani, Member of the Chamber’s Presidium, also stressed the need for a careful and focused examination of members’ requests and concerns. He called on the Chamber to identify the specific needs of each industry and provide its support and services in line with the circumstances of business stakeholders.
Rashid Azizpour, Chairman of the Food Industries Commission of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, referred in his remarks to Iran’s potential in the food industry: “One of the key objectives of Iranian companies is to increase exports of halal products and strengthen the presence of these products in international markets. In addition, entering and gaining access to the organic products market is another objective that can create suitable opportunities for the development of Iran’s exports. Given the country’s production capacities and the growing global demand for halal and organic products, strengthening product quality, standards, and packaging can help create the conditions for a broader presence of Iranian companies in these markets.”
Kaveh Zargaran, Member of the Representatives’ Assembly of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, referring to the considerable potential of Iran’s food industry, emphasized the need to expand trade cooperation between Iran and Germany: “Iran’s food industry has significant potential for export development and presence in international markets. In this regard, strengthening trade cooperation between Iran and Germany can help make better use of these capacities, expand markets for Iranian products, and create new opportunities for cooperation between business stakeholders in the two countries.”
Abolhasan Khalili, a veteran of the food industry, subsequently emphasized the importance of the targeted participation of Iranian companies in international trade fairs: “One of the important measures for export development is to send targeted and specialized delegations to trade fairs in various industries, including the food industry. These delegations can identify suitable markets, establish direct contacts with business stakeholders, and assess cooperation opportunities, thereby creating new business opportunities and contributing to the development of Iranian companies’ exports.”
The President of the German-Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce also referred to the measures already taken in this area and stated: “The Chamber has so far sent specialized delegations to Germany in various industrial sectors and continues to work, based on the needs of each industry, to support and facilitate the presence of Iranian business stakeholders in the German market.”
The meeting then addressed technology transfer and the use of German technical expertise and equipment. Problems related to financial and insurance transactions, as well as possible solutions to facilitate these processes, were also discussed. One of the participants referred to the import of German machinery into Iran and emphasized the need to facilitate the presence of German technicians and specialists for the installation, commissioning, and operation of this equipment. He also called for the Chamber to play an active role in this regard.
In response, Asghari stated: “In the area of trade, the Chamber can provide business stakeholders with information and the standards required by the German market so that companies can gain a more precise understanding of the requirements of this market and be better prepared for exports and the expansion of their activities.”
Hooman Hajipour, Secretary-General of the Importers Federation, also expressed his appreciation to the German-Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and emphasized the Chamber’s important role in developing and facilitating trade relations between the two countries. He also highlighted the Chamber’s role in connecting business stakeholders and expanding trade cooperation across various industries, particularly the food industry.
The meeting concluded with an emphasis on strengthening the role of the German-Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce as a facilitator of trade relations, identifying new cooperation opportunities, developing connections between Iranian and German companies, and creating the conditions for increasing the presence of Iranian products in the German market.
The participants also emphasized the continuation of specialized dialogue with stakeholders in the agriculture and food industry sectors and the follow-up of the proposals and issues raised during the meeting.
