Initiation of Actions in the U.S. for Establishing a Joint Chamber of Commerce with Iran

The head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines announced the "initiation of actions" in the U.S. for establishing a chamber of commerce with Iran, stating that if this occurs, "according to the law," a U.S.-Iran chamber of commerce will be established in Tehran two months later. According to the state news agency IRNA, Mohsen Jalalpour mentioned on Monday evening, August 12, that the establishment of a chamber of commerce with Iran in the U.S. has not yet "taken its final shape," which is why no actions have begun in Iran regarding this matter. He emphasized that if a joint chamber of commerce with Iran is formed in the U.S., establishing this chamber in Iran "does not require government approval." Mr. Jalalpour stated that "according to the law," two months after the establishment of a chamber of commerce with Iran in any country, the Iran Chamber of Commerce and Industries is obligated to establish a chamber of commerce with that country. "Our proposal is that a delegation of traders and economic activists accompany the President to New York in October." Jalalpour's comments come in the context of previous reports two years ago, following Hassan Rouhani's visit to the U.S. to attend the UN General Assembly, regarding the potential establishment of a joint chamber of commerce between the two countries. Meanwhile, Pedram Soltani, the vice president of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines, announced on Monday, October 22, 2013, the registration of the Iran-U.S. chamber of commerce in the United States, stating that no decision has been made for registering this chamber in Iran yet. On Monday, Jalalpour also mentioned that no "official" request has been made by the U.S. to send a trade delegation to Iran. According to Mehr news agency, he predicted that during Hassan Rouhani's potential trip to New York for the UN General Assembly, negotiations would take place between Iranian and American economic officials. The head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce and Industries stated, "Our proposal is that a delegation of traders and economic activists accompany the President to New York in October." Iran and the U.S. have not had official political relations for about 35 years, and the U.S. has imposed various financial and economic sanctions on Iran for years. Reports indicate that in recent years, Iran has had the lowest trade volume with the U.S. among the 1+5 countries. According to Iranian customs statistics, in the first four months of 2015, U.S. exports to Iran exceeded $11 million, while imports from Iran amounted to $208,000. After the Vienna nuclear agreement, despite the Islamic Republic officials' insistence on the impossibility of direct political relations with the U.S., comments regarding the increase of economic relations between the two countries have emerged. For instance, Bijan Zangeneh, Iran's oil minister, emphasized that Iran does not impose any restrictions on cooperation with foreign oil companies, including the U.S.