Tehran International Trade Fair
Closer to
Free Trade |
 |
Customs
regulations and banking laws have had to be revised along with elimination of much red
tape to encourage and diversify Iran’s non-oil exports |
We have done this for
twenty-five times. Tehran International Fair Grounds has been host to 25 international
trade fairs in the past two decades. It took years of efforts, revision of laws,
encouraging foreign participants, easing exhibiting regulations, practicing détente,
publicity, etc., to elevate the Tehran International Trade Fair (TITF) into its present
status. Many countries that plan to expand their business in Iran, or even plan to explore
the Iranian market opportunities, find TITF the best occasion to serve their purpose.
Each year, the Iranian President inaugurates the TITF before exhibitors start a busy week
on the first of October. Companies and business people carefully listen to the opening
address of Iran’s trade officials while journalists and analysts wait to see which
pavilion the President visits. After his official visits to three West European countries,
implications behind the President’s look around a country’s pavilion largely
refer to his future travel plans or a breakthrough in trade ties.
Coordinated by Export Promotion Center of Iran (EPCI), Tehran International Trade Fair is
Iran’s most significant annual trade event. It allows foreign companies to both
display their capabilities and evaluate the Iranian market. At the same time, it
encourages the Iranian manufacturers and exporters to refresh their networking, present
their latest achievements and endeavor to diversify the country’s non-oil exports.
After President Khatami’s administration took over, EPCI was invigorated to launch a
fresh campaign for the promotion of exports. Since then, several measures have had to be
adopted to accelerate the trade and export wheels of the country. These included:
Establishment of
non-governmental export promotion funds, financial and tax facilities
Removing bureaucratic hurdles
and red tape
Revising the banking
regulations to expedite exports
Improving relations and
reducing tension in international levels
Revising the customs
regulations
Assistance in marketing
activities
Another great leap in
export promotion was bringing all export service administrations under one roof, as a
result of which the number of desks that an Iranian exporter had to refer to was reduced
from thirty to seven. The Iranian trade community has realized the importance of
information dissemination in expansion of exports. For this purpose, trade information
centers are being developed by the EPCI as well as other firms to meet the requirements.
The number of countries and foreign companies
attending the TITF has been on the rise for the past three years. As Iran further opens
doors on the trade, the number of international companies is expected to grow further.
This year, for the 26th time, the trade talk begins. You may as well call it a dialogue of
economies. Potential partners meet, hoping that this year they work in a more liberal
trade environment. |
