Economic relations: German exports to Iran increased

Status: 01/10/2023 1:03 p.m

According to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Germany is still “Iran’s most important trading partner in Europe”. In 2022, German exports even increased. Given the government’s crackdown on protests, this is viewed critically.

German exports to the have increased in the past year – despite the ongoing protests by system critics and their suppression by the government. 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, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office available to the Reuters news agency.

“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.

However, economic relations with the Islamic Republic are being viewed more critically than they already are because of the government’s violent crackdown on protests that have been going on since September. The EU foreign ministers imposed new sanctions on Iran just last month.

Deaths, death sentences, executions

According to human rights group Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), more than 500 people were killed during the protests, including scores of minors. Most recently, death sentences against demonstrators and executions caused outrage worldwide. In addition, Iran has supplied drones to Russia to be used in the war against Ukraine.

Decrease in Iranian exports to Germany

In the past, the German economy mainly exported chemical products, machines and foodstuffs to Iran. Conversely, food is mainly delivered to Germany. Iranian imports 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.

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