The average goods and services Consumer Price Index for urban areas in the 12 months ending April 20, which marks the end of the first Iranian month of Farvardin, increased by 9.5% com­pa­red with last year’s corresponding period, the latest report released by the Central Bank of Iran an­nounced.  CBI had put the inflation rate for the preceding month of Esfand, which ended March 20, at 9%. The overall CPI (using the Iranian year to March 2012 as the base year) stood at 265.6 in Farvardin, indicating a 1.1% growth compared with the previous month. The index registered a year-on-year increase of 12.6% compared with the similar month of last year.  The CBI report came after the Statistical Center of Iran put Farvardin inflation at 6.9%.

In the first two month 2017, the European Union (EU28) export of goods to Iran stood at € 1545 mn, an increase of 55% compared with January and February 2016.  According to the latest data by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union,  29% of the EU-exports to Iran came from Germany, which delivered goods worth € 444 mn, that was 37% more than in the first two month of the year 2016.  Second (18%) was Italy with exports worth € 273 mn (+42%), followed by France (€ 214 mn, + 139%).   

In January to February 2017 the 28 EU countries imported goods worth  € 1,637 bn (an increase of 574% compared with the first two month in 2016).  With the removal of most of the sanctions at the end of January 2016, Iran again started the export of oil to Europe.  That is the reason for the high growth rates in Iranian exports to some EU countries.  Major Iranian exports to the European Union go to Italy, which imported goods worth € 523 mn from Iran (+725%), France (€ 339 mn, + 5849%), Netherland (€ 191 mn, + 1,425%), Spain (€ 177 mn, +409%) and Greece (€ 162 mn, 2,851%).  Germany  now holds 6th place with imports worth 65 million Euro (+14%).  

 In den ersten zwei Monaten 2017 stieg der deutsch-iranische Außenhandel gegenüber dem Vergleichszeitraum 2016 um 34% und erreichte einen Wert von 514 Mio. Euro. Deutschland lieferte Waren im Wert von 445 Mio. Euro (+38%); die iranischen Lieferungen nach Deutschand  lagen bei 69 Mio. Euro (+11%);  Iran lieferte im Februar wieder mineralische Brennstoffe im Wert von 14 Mio. Euro.                 

Wichtigste Warengruppen bei den deutschen Lieferungen nach Iran in den ersten beiden Monaten  2017 wa­ren Ma­schi­nen, Apparate und mechanische Geräte (132 Mio. Euro), Kraft­­­fahr­­zeuge, Land­fahr­zeuge (56 Mio. Euro), optische, photografische usw. Er­zeug­nisse (40 Mio. Euro), elektrotechnische Er­zeug­nisse (38 Mio. Euro),  sowie pharma­zeu­tische Er­zeug­nisse (25 Mio. Euro),

Die iranischen Liefe­run­gen nach Deutschland im Berichtszeitraum setz­ten sich u.a. zu­sam­­men aus Früch­­­­­­­ten und Nüssen im Wert von 24 Mio. Euro, mineralischen Brennstoffen, usw im Wert von 14 Mio. Euro, anderen Waren tie­­ri­schen Ur­sprungs (Häu­te und Schafs­­därme; 9 Mio. €), Teppi­chen (5 Mio. €), Schellack, Gummen, Harz und Pflanzensaft (5 Mio. €), sowie pharma­zeu­ti­schen Erzeugnissen (3 Mio. Eu­ro).  Eine Tabelle von 98 Warengruppen kann angefordert werden.  Nach Angaben des Statistischen Bundesamtes.

The recently revived Ger­man luxury mark Borg­ward says it is nego­ti­ating with Iranian car­makers to launch joint pro­duction lines in the coun­try. Deputy director Tom Anliker, said he re­cently visited Iran and met local automakers about prospects for a joint venture, Asbe Bokhar reported on Friday.  “Negotiations have been held between Borgward and major Iranian carmakers in cluding Iran Kho­dro and Bahman Group,” he was quoted as saying.  Anliker added “There is significant de­mand for SUVs and cross overs in the Iranian market. Borgward intends to meet this need.”

Ear­lier local automotive websites reported that Bahman Group is set to produce two models of Borgward SUVs, namely the BX5 and BX7. Neither Bahman Group nor the German company ha­ve so far confirmed the report.  The Borgward BX7 (BMW X5 size) is likely to retail in the local market at 1.4 billion rials ($37,000) which is roughly the same price as the recently released new-generation Renault Ko­le­os SUV. BX7 is Borgward’s first new car in over 50 years and was unveiled at the 2015 Inter­na­ti­onal Motor Show.  The smaller BX5 (BMW X3 size) would likely carry a 1.2 billion rials ($32,000) tag pegging it against the Hyundai and Kia models in the same league.  Both models share the same architecture and the same 1.8 and 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines. Torque is dis­tri­buted briskly by a seven-speed dual clutch transmission; the top-of-the-line power plant pro­duces 225bhp, the plug-in hybrid churns out 401bhp and a combined torque of 479lb ft.

Although Bahman Group has not officially announced its plans to produce Borgward cars, sour­ces close to the company have said that the first units of the model will be in the market later this year.  The company is currently testing the models, and several units of Borgward cars have been seen on the company premises.  A source close to the Bahman Motor deal, on condition of anonymity, told the paper Borgward would invest $1.5 million in marketing its vehicles in Iran.  Borgward’s entry would be the latest among several international carmakers converging on the Iranian market.   https://financialtribune.com