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Iran-China trade recorded as 40% down in Jan-Apr
Iran expresses interest in creating barter system with Kazakhstan
Iran sends humanitarian aid to Kyrgyzstan to fight coronavirus
Platts reported.
Ten days ago Iran's NIGC said Tehran rejected Ankara's claim that the explosion was a force majeure event. The company said it expected gas flow to be restarted on June 21 at the earliest.
Turkey imports gas from Iran under an agreement signed in 1996 for up to 10 bcm/year until July 2026. It commenced in 2001 and was later reduced to 9.6 bcm/year.
Chinese customs data released this week indicates that trade between Iran and China in the January to April period was valued at $5.26bn, marking a decline of around 40% y/y, IBENA has reported.
Figures from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China also put Iran’s exports to China during the four months at $2.92bn, translating to a 61.2% y/y drop. China’s exports to Iran were given as 3.2% y/y up at $2.92bn.
China imported $5.93bn worth of goods from Iran between January and April 2019, the report also said.
Iran-China trade was given a value of $1.32bn for April, with Iran’s exports to China accounting for $526.24mn and imports from China $796.07mn.
Oil is the main import item China takes from Iran. The collapse in oil prices would appear to be a key reason for the reduced flow of Iranian exports to China during the period in question. Reduced demand in China due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was likely another reason.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has stated that Iran is ready to establish a barter system with Kazakhstan to deepen bilateral trade relations​, according to a summary of a phone conversation between Rouhani and Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev released on May 20. Rouhani also told his counterpart that it was important to develop rail and road transit and banking cooperation and to finalise an agreement on facilitating the issuance of visas for citizens of the two countries. As of October last year, Iran entered into a two-year preferential trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), of which Kazakhstan is a member.
‘‘A barter system can deepen trade relations between the two countries, and Iran is ready to establish this mechanism,’’ Rouhani said, according to the Iranian president’s​ official website​.
Kazakhstan on May 20 approved a bill on the ratification of an agreement between the country and Iran on mutual legal assistance in civil matters.
Iran has sent humanitarian aid to Kyrgyzstan to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Iranian embassy in Kyrgyzstan said on May 19. Despite its own ongoing infection, the Iranian government sees the chance to send aid including masks and anti-bacterial gels to its neighbours as a PR coup in its own local press. The Islamic Republic has shipped several consignments to other Central Asian countries as part of the outreach effort in recent days.
Bishkek reported 1,270 cases of the virus in the country with 910 cured and 14 deaths on May 20.
The medical cargo weighing more than 3 tonnes was delivered by charter flight from Mashhad to Bishkek on May 18.
Medical aid including medical, pharmaceuticals and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the fight against coronavirus was transferred to the Kyrgyz authorities at Manas Airport, the report by the embassy said.
Iranian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Saeed Kharazi noted that the Iranian government and Khorasan-Razavi Province intended to send humanitarian aid
23​ IRAN Country Report July 2020 www.intellinews.com