Iran-Brazil Chamber of Commerce Convenes

The Iran-Brazil Chamber of Commerce convened on Sunday for its inaugural meeting with the board of directors and selected Kaveh Zargaran as the head of the chamber.

Zargaran is currently the director of the Federation of Iranian Food Associates and a member of the Agriculture and Food Industries Commission of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture.

A week ago, the chamber was officially inaugurated and members of the board of directors were selected. In addition to Zargaran, other members of the board of the chamber were also selected, according to the official news website of ICCIMA.

The joint chamber of commerce, which has been founded with the aim of developing business ties between the two countries, is the first and only joint chamber with a South American nation. In an event held last week to mark the inauguration of the chamber, Pedram Soltani, deputy director of ICCIMA, hoped that the chamber’s activities could expand Iranian collaboration with South America’s largest economy.

“Until such a time when other joint chambers of commerce would be formed with Latin American nations, we must use the capacities created by this chamber to work with nations in this region,” he had said.

The official also referred to a striking trade deficit with Brazil, noting that Iran exports about $80 million worth of goods a year to Brazil while its imports reach $2 billion.

“The role of this joint chamber in reducing this imbalance must be taken very seriously,” he said. Rodrigo de Azeredo Santos, Brazil’s ambassador to Iran, had stressed the need for facilitating economic ties between the private sectors of the two countries, saying their embassies also play a significant role.

Santos noted that a Central Bank of Iran delegation travelling to Brazil in the near future will be very important, calling on ICCIMA officials and members of the newly-formed Iran-Brazil Chamber of Commerce to join the delegation.