Following an agreement to upgrade emission standard of products to Euro IV, IKCO resumed exporting its cars to Russia in late June for the first time in five years.
"In order to be present and compete in global markets and export products to other countries you should consider the diversity of products, high quality of products, required specifications of target markets, suitable after-sales services in target markets and meet international standards requirements," Hashem Yekehzare, IKCO president and CEO, said.
"Meeting Russian standards is the first and very important step to enter this market", he said, and added, "But what is more important is to provide suitable after-sales services to the customers of our cars in this market."
Ali Elmi, IKCO deputy CEO for exports, said the company exported more than 12,000 cars to Russia from 2007 to 2009, adding that the shipments stopped due to the discrepancy between standards of Iran IKCO's products and those in Russia.
He said IKCO received the required certificate in late 2013 to be able to resume car exports to Russia.
Elmi said Iran Khodro plans to deliver 10,000 cars to Russia by the end of 2015. The first shipment, which includes Samand LX, Samand SA, Samand Soren and Runna sedans, was loaded on Sunday. After 2015, Meeting Euro V emission standard would be necessary for cars to enter to Russian market. IKCO is taking needed measures to boost the emission standard of its cars to Euro V in near future.
Iran's Ambassador to Russia Mahdi Sanaei said he expects the volume of trade with Russia to increase this year, after plunging from four billion dollars to $1.5 billion in the four years leading up to 2013. "This was due to the sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said. "However, with the help of God, this downward slope will be reversed in the year 2014."
Andrey Luganskiy, Russia's trade representative in Tehran, said the exports would allow Iran to acquire Russian currency, which it can then use to buy goods that it is unable to import from the West.
Russia is a big country that sold 2.78 million cars in 2013. The figure is expected to reach 3.3 million by 2016, so the country can be considered a good market for IKCO vehicles.
