German Iran exports increased in 2022 – despite protests

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Photo from September 2022: protests after the death of Mahsa Amini

Photo: Wana News Agency/ REUTERS

German exports to Iran increased last year - despite the bloody crackdown on protests.

From January to November they grew by 12.7 percent compared to the same period last year to around 1.5 billion euros.

After just eleven months, the result for the whole of 2021 of a good 1.4 billion euros was exceeded.

This emerges from data from the Federal Statistical Office, from which the Reuters news agency quotes.

"Germany is still Iran's most important trading partner in Europe," the German-Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce wrote shortly before the turn of the year.

Economic relations with the Islamic Republic have been viewed more critically since ongoing political protests have been met with massive violence by the state leadership.

Even before that, they were considered sensitive because human rights have been violated in Iran for years and the leadership is pursuing a threatening nuclear policy.

The EU foreign ministers imposed new sanctions on Tehran just last month.

According to human rights group HRANA, more than 500 people have been killed during the current protests, including dozens of minors.

Recently, death sentences against demonstrators caused outrage worldwide.

In addition, Iran has supplied drones to Russia to be used in the war against Ukraine.

In the past, the German economy mainly exported chemical products, machines and food to Iran.

Conversely, food is mainly imported to Germany.

Iranian exports to Germany totaled almost 278 million euros in the first eleven months of 2022.

This corresponds to a decrease of 2.9 percent compared to the same period in 2021.

Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in 2015, in exchange for many Western sanctions against the country being lifted.

The USA, under its President Donald Trump, withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and imposed sanctions that also affect third countries and their companies.

This had dampened German goods exports to the country in recent years.

mamk/Reuters