TEHRAN- Mahmoud Najafi Arab, the Head of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (TCCIMA), in a letter to Abbas Araghchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, while presenting a report on the achievements of the Tehran Chamber's delegation's visit to the Shanghai exhibition in China and the side meetings of this delegation, declared readiness to play an active role in organizing and facilitating the relations between the private sectors of the two countries.

By sending a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and referring to the dispatch of a high-ranking delegation from the Tehran Chamber to Shanghai, China, the Head of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture shared a detailed report of the achievements and executive proposals from this trip with Abbas Araghchi.

According to the public relations report of the Tehran Chamber, the dispatched delegation of the Chamber, which attended the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), in addition to setting up the Tehran Chamber's dedicated pavilion in the agriculture and food industries sector, held a series of specialized meetings and negotiations with local officials, trade institutions, and potential Chinese partners, and also signed several memoranda of understanding for cooperation.

In his letter to Abbas Araghchi, Mahmoud Najafi Arab stated that the Tehran Chamber, like last year, set up its dedicated pavilion in the agriculture and food industries hall of this exhibition, and the participating Iranian companies were able to introduce the country's export capacities and advantages to the large Chinese market.

The letter emphasized that the accompaniment and support of the Embassy of Iran in Beijing and the Iranian Consulate General in Shanghai played an effective role in the success of the Tehran Chamber delegation's programs, and the Chamber is ready, relying on existing capacities, to play a more active role in organizing and facilitating the relations between the private sectors of the two countries.

In the report that the Head of the Tehran Chamber provided in his letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, reference was made to the meeting of the officials and members of the Tehran Chamber's delegation with the Secretary-General and deputies of the Shanghai Commerce Development Council and the agreement of both sides to establish sustainable cooperation mechanisms through the implementation of the "Joint Iran-China E-Commerce Platform" and the formation of joint working groups to follow up on infrastructure projects, renewable energy, railway lines, and transit, as well as the proposal to establish a "Tehran-Shanghai Innovation and Technology Desk" at the "Tehran Chamber's Digital Innovation and Transformation Center".

According to the report, in specialized negotiations with Shanghai industrial unions and associations, a proposal was made to start operational cooperation in three areas: smart agriculture, solar energy, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology production. The Chinese side also declared its readiness for technology transfer, training Iranian experts, and dispatching technical teams to review joint projects.

The report stated that on the sidelines of the China International Import Expo, several memoranda of understanding and agreements were signed between Iranian and Chinese companies, including an MOU in the field of design and production of cryogenic pumps for use in oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, as well as developing chain stores for presenting Iranian food products in Shanghai.

Furthermore, the letter also pointed out that the B2B meetings and trade negotiations at the Tehran Chamber's pavilion provided a platform for direct dialogue between Chinese producers and buyers.

In the presented report, the readiness of the Tehran Chamber to host specialized delegations and implement joint projects in the fields of technology, clean energy, medical equipment, and drug production was emphasized.

In his letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Head of the Tehran Chamber, while appreciating the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador, and the Iranian Consul in China, spoke of the Tehran Chamber's readiness to play an effective role in deepening economic relations and facilitating the utilization of opportunities in the Chinese market.

On November 8, Iran inaugurated its Trade Development Center in Shanghai in a ceremony attended by Najafi Arab and TCCIMA Secretary General Fereydoun Vardinejad, honoring Vardinejad for his role in strengthening Iran–China ties.

The event also brought together former Iranian ambassador to China Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Iran’s Consul General in Shanghai Ali Mohammadi, and a group of Iranian and Chinese business leaders.

Vardinejad, who previously served as ambassador to Beijing, called for deeper private-sector cooperation between the two countries amid “intense global competition and Western efforts, particularly by the United States, to marginalize Asia’s role in global value chains.”

He proposed the creation of a digital barter platform enabling trade in yuan and rial with the support of both central banks, and urged Iran and China to expand collaboration in regional and global coalitions to counter unilateral sanctions and promote multilateral trade based on law and mutual agreement.

TCCIMA signs MOU with Hangzhou trade council to boost cooperation in advanced technologies

In a related meeting, the Tehran Chamber of Commerce delegation, led by Najafi Arab, met with the Deputy Director of the Hangzhou Council for the Promotion of International Trade and signed a memorandum of understanding to boost trade and technology exchanges, particularly in advanced and digital industries.

Najafi Arab expressed hope that the talks would “open new economic gateways” between the two countries, citing Hangzhou’s strength in electronics, innovation, and technology infrastructure.

He said the agreement could lead to cooperation on smart industrial parks, digital economy initiatives, and educational partnerships between Tehran’s Innovation and Digital Transformation Center and its counterparts in Hangzhou.

The Tehran Chamber delegation, which includes two lawmakers, traveled to Shanghai to attend the China International Import Expo (CIIE), and promote private-sector collaboration in trade and technology.

During a forum on economic cooperation opportunities between Iran and China, held in Tehran on November 4, Tan Kai, President of the Iran Federation of Overseas Chinese Association, said that Chinese companies view Iran as an appealing destination for industrial investment.

Tan noted that bilateral trade between Iran and China reached $13.4 billion last year, adding that the figure could rise substantially through expanded cooperation.

He emphasized Iran’s role as a key member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and said Chinese firms are particularly interested in developing partnerships in industrial sectors.

He added that China is home to over 58 million private factories, offering diverse and flexible models of foreign investment that could help support Iran’s economic growth.

Former Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi, also speaking at the meeting, underlined the importance of strengthening Iran’s economic ties with eastern partners. He said that amid sanctions, strategic collaboration with China could play a vital role in mitigating economic pressures.

Meanwhile, Hamed Vafaee, professor of Chinese studies at the University of Tehran, said relations between the two countries need deeper transformation and mutual understanding. He noted that Iran remains an indispensable partner in China’s global development trajectory, underscoring the necessity of broadening bilateral cooperation.

In early October, Majid-Reza Hariri, the chairman of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce, commented on the extent to which the UN Security Council sanctions would affect Iran-China relations, and stated: "Given that none of the UN sanctions are trade-related and instead pertain to the nuclear industry and some sectors of the country's missile industries, consequently, they should not impact our normal trade with China."

He added: "Although the U.S. sanctions have completely prohibited oil sales, we see that the Chinese are currently buying nearly over 90 percent of the country's oil. Therefore, UN sanctions are not related to the commercial sphere and logically should not affect these types of relations either."

Hariri further added: "The UN sanctions will have psychological and secondary effects which must be examined."

MA