TPO: Iran, Kuwait sign five-part trade pact to enhance cooperation
Iran and Kuwait have signed a set of agreements across five key sectors to expand commercial cooperation, following their first Joint Trade and Technical Commission meeting in more than a decade, an Iranian trade official said on Tuesday, Tasnim reported.
The 13th session of the commission was held in Kuwait City, 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.
Abdolamir Rabihavi, director of the West Asia department at Iran’s TPO, said the “most important achievement of this round of negotiations was the signing of agreements across five main areas by officials of the two countries.”
Rabihavi said the two sides agreed to hold an exhibition showcasing Iran’s industrial capabilities in Kuwait in 2026, and that Kuwaiti business representatives would travel to Iran to visit trade fairs and meet officials.
Cooperation between the two countries’ private sectors, led by their chambers of commerce, along with efforts to boost investment and remove trade barriers, were also part of the commercial and economic agreements, he said.
On food security, which Rabihavi noted as a priority for Kuwait, discussions were held on joint investment, supplying essential goods, technology transfer and training.
Industrial and standards cooperation focused on harmonizing regulations. Rabihavi said the two sides agreed to accelerate drafting and implementing a joint standards program to ease the exchange of mutually accepted products. Industrial collaboration, technology transfers, and exports of Iranian machinery and industrial units to Kuwait were also included in the talks.
On customs, the two sides agreed to implement an existing cooperation and mutual assistance accord, and to draw up a joint action plan between their customs authorities. Iran and Kuwait will also pursue the activation of their bilateral investment protection agreement and move forward with negotiations on a double-taxation avoidance treaty, he added.
Transport issues were reviewed across land, sea and air corridors. At sea, Iranian representatives raised ongoing issues affecting Iranian vessels and crews in Kuwaiti ports. A joint working group with Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization will examine required technical criteria.
On land transport, Kuwait agreed to consider allowing cargo transit from Iran’s Shalamcheh crossing to Iraq and onward through the Safwan and Abdali border points to Kuwait. In air transport, Iran requested an increase in direct flights. Both sides also agreed to strengthen direct shipping between Iran’s Khorramshahr port and Kuwait’s Al-Ahmadi port.
He said the commission represents “an important step toward expanding trade relations with Persian Gulf states.”
He added that Iran is also planning to intensify economic cooperation with Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and that all agreed measures will be followed up by the relevant government bodies.