At EEC headquarters, Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev chaired a seminar on barriers in trade with Iran and priority cooperation tracks — preparing the second Joint Committee meeting under the 25 December 2023 free trade agreement. Source: Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).
Officials, business and research representatives from EAEU states took part. The aim is to arrive at the Committee with a concrete problem list, proposed fixes and draft understandings for follow-up with the partner.
The FTA entered into force on 15 May 2025 and covers preferential access for about 90% of the goods nomenclature; Iran’s average import duty on EAEU goods fell from 20% to 4.5%. Discussions covered technical regulation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, halal supply chains, payments and trade-project insurance.
Participants also reviewed the North–South corridor, port and rail infrastructure, road transport conditions, digital documentation, transparency of foreign-trade procedures and EAEU companies’ access to Iran’s special economic zones. Slepnev stressed that unlocking the agreement’s benefits means cutting non-tariff barriers, improving connectivity and securing settlements — especially as Iranian trade flows shift northward. Seminar outcomes will feed expert sessions and the October 2026 Committee agenda.
