[Ha'aretz ] Assaf Uni - Trade between Germany and Iran is expanding despite Berlin's declarations that it is curtailing its trade. Ha'aretz has calculated that in the first four months of the year, German exports to Iran increased by around 18% from the same period last year. Germany, Iran's biggest trade partner in the EU, is under American and Israeli pressure to reduce its economic ties with Iran, after Tehran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment and its threats against Israel. In the first four months of 2008, Germany exported to Iran 1.35 billion euros worth of merchandise, consisting of chemical and iron products, cars, engines and engineering equipment. Some 1,700 German companies are operating in Iran, including giants such as Siemens and chemical group BASF.
2008-06-27 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive