Representatives from the private sectors of Iran and Uruguay explored ways to trade via barter system.
Mohammad Reza Karbasi, the deputy for international affairs of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) and Ana Laura Fernández, the Director for Economic Studies and International Commerce of the Chamber of Commerce and Services of Uruguay, in an online meeting on Saturday, discussed the possibility to barter Iranian oil and petrochemical products for rice and meat from Uruguay.
Speaking during the meeting, Karbasi said that during a 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the Iranian government used to barter the country’s oil for Uruguayan rice in a large scale.
He noted that while Iran’s trade with some Latin American countries tops $2 billion, Iran’s trade with Uruguay has been insignificant especially over the past few years.
Karbasi urged both Iran and Uruguay to sign preferential and free trade agreements to pave the way for further trade exchanges between the two countries.
Referring to the global outbreak of COVID-19, Karbasi also stressed the need for holding online B2B meetings between economic operators from the chambers of commerce of both countries.
He also said that the ongoing Expo 2020 Dubai provides a good chance for interaction between the Iranian and Uruguayan companies.
The Uruguayan side, for his part, said that the private sector of his country is ready for negotiations and cooperation with Iran so as to identify the potential capacities.
Fernández said that they have asked the Iranian embassy in Uruguay to help the companies in the country to further identify the Iranian market.
He noted that Uruguay is ready for holding B2B meetings in February and March, 2022.