Speaking in an interview with FNA on Mon., Farzad Piltan pointed to the situation of export of construction materials to Africa and added, “Islamic Republic of Iran exported different kinds of building and construction materials (including wires and cables, tiles and ceramics, stones, sockets, porcelains and chinawares, sanitary valves and faucets, showers, doors, windows, pipes and profiles, etc.), valued at about $620 million mainly to the neighboring countries of Iraq and Afghanistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Azerbaijan.”
About $2 million worth of the aforementioned building materials was exported from Iran to African countries (including Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria) last year (ended March 20, 2020), he reiterated.
Lack of interest and proper planning by the country's private sector to export products to African countries, export, economic and trade risks, transportation problems (including distance and high costs and lack of regular and direct transportation lines), banking problems, lack of recognition of Iranian traders from needs of African markets and lack of knowledge of African traders about high export capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, high marketing costs such as participating in exhibitions and establishing an office, etc. have been cited as the most important obstacles behind export of the aforementioned products to African continent, Piltan underlined.
While focusing on promoting exports to neighboring countries, TPOI has not ignored to expand its trade ties with African states, he said, adding, “Based on the program defined, Trade Promotion Organization of Iran has made its utmost effort to remove the aforementioned export barriers in line with exporting products to African markets.”
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