Iran, Kuwait revive joint trade commission after decade-long hiatus
Iran and Kuwait held their 13th Joint Trade and Technical Commission meeting in Kuwait City on Tuesday after more than a decade-long pause, aiming to expand bilateral economic cooperation.
The meeting, co-chaired by Mohammad Ali Dehqan-Dehnavi, head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), and Marwa al-Juaidan, Kuwait’s deputy minister of commerce and trade, brought together representatives from both countries’ trade, customs, and port authorities, IRNA reported.
Discussions focused on opportunities to expand goods trade and address existing barriers faced by Iranian traders in Kuwait.
According to the Iran-Kuwait Joint Chamber of Commerce, the resumption of the joint commission after more than ten years marks “a turning point in the process of revitalizing economic and trade relations between the two countries” and could pave the way for a comprehensive roadmap for future cooperation.
The two-day commission sessions covered issues related to residence and visa policies, work permits for foreign nationals, investment facilitation, cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture, as well as tourism and agriculture in Kuwait, the chamber said.
The final version of the joint trade cooperation memorandum is expected to be signed today by the deputy ministers of commerce from both countries after technical teams review the draft.
Trade between Iran and Kuwait reached around $300 million in the past Persian calendar year, which ended on March 20, 2025, according to the Iran-Kuwait Joint Chamber of Commerce.
In August, Kuwait’s Central Statistical Bureau reported that Iranian exports to Kuwait rose 19% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reaching $116 million.
Overall bilateral trade grew 16% during the same period, totaling $130 million, with Iran’s trade surplus standing at $102 million.
The data also showed that Iran ranked 18th among Kuwait’s exporters and 18th among its import partners during the first quarter of 2025.