Tehran’s trade with Africa has witnessed a substantial boost in 2025, with both exports and imports showing strong growth, according to Mohammad-Reza Safari, head of the Africa Department at Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO). He reported that Iranian exports to African countries surged by 85% in the first quarter of the Iranian calendar year compared to the same period in the previous year.
Safari credited the Iran-Africa Economic Cooperation Summit as a key driver of this growth, noting that the event accelerated the implementation of trade agreements and policies approved by the Africa Headquarters. He highlighted that Iran’s trade network on the continent had expanded from 27 to 32 countries, contributing to a positive trade balance of 113% so far in 2025.
Looking ahead, Safari emphasized the importance of shifting toward exports of high value-added goods and investing in offshore production in African markets. He argued that this approach is increasingly necessary due to rising global energy and transport costs, as well as new U.S. tariffs on African exports. He pointed to China’s long-standing strategy in Africa as a model. Current bilateral trade between Iran and African nations stands at roughly $1.3 billion, with ambitions to raise it to $3–5 billion by the end of 2025.
