BERLIN: Eric Schweitzer, president of the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK), says his country plans to double trade with Iran to more than five billion euros in the short-term and to ten billion euros in the mid-term.
Schweitzer accompanied Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel on a three-day visit to Iran.
In an interview with German Ostthüringer Zeitung newspaper, Schweitzer talked about the atmosphere in Iran after the historic nuclear deal, the chances of the German economy and its hopes for boosting trade with Iran.
He said that the visit of Federal Minister Gabriel with a delegation six days after the nuclear agreement is a very encouraging sign for the German economy. The interest and the demand for German goods is very high.
We expect shortly to double the bilateral trade to more than five billion euros – and in medium term to ten billion euros. In 2005, we had a trade volume of five billion euros. In 2014, the two-way trade was only 2.7 billion euros.
Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel says a new chapter has opened in economic ties between Iran and Germany.
“German companies desire sustainable and everlasting economic cooperation with Iran,” Gabriel said in a press conference in Tehran after meeting with Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh on Monday.
German Ambassador to Tehran Michael Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg has already said that German companies are keen to boost links with Iran and directly invest in the country.
Germany was the 14th leading importer of Iranian non-oil goods in the previous Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, 2015, according to the Iran Customs Administration.
Iran exported $354.17 million of non-oil goods to Germany and imported $2.33 billion of non-oil goods from the country.
