who does business with iran
A wide range of countries still do business with Iran—especially in Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Latin America and Europe—despite U.S. sanctions and, now, the new U.S. tariff threat on any country “doing business” with Tehran.
Main trading partners
Several states stand out as Iran’s key commercial partners in recent years.
- China is Iran’s largest trading partner and main buyer of Iranian oil, purchasing the bulk of Iran’s crude via both official and more opaque channels.
- India maintains significant but smaller trade with Iran, involving rice, tea, sugar, pharmaceuticals and machinery on the export side, and imports such as dry fruits and chemicals.
- Türkiye (Turkey) trades several billion dollars’ worth of goods annually with Iran, exporting machinery, plastics and agricultural goods while importing natural gas, metals, and farm products.
- United Arab Emirates (UAE) acts as a major re‑export hub, with several billion dollars in two‑way trade and Iranian goods often moving through Emirati ports into wider global markets.
- Brazil has become a notable Latin American partner, exporting several billion dollars in soybeans, corn, sugar and other agricultural products to Iran each year.
- Germany and some other European economies still trade at a lower level, mainly exporting industrial and consumer goods and importing limited Iranian products.
Recent political twist (2026)
The picture became more politically charged in January 2026.
- U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from countries that “do business” with Iran, explicitly signaling economies such as China, Brazil, Türkiye, Russia, and Gulf states like the UAE.
- This move targets more than 100 countries that have some trade with Iran, but it especially pressures those larger partners that buy Iranian oil or act as logistical and financial intermediaries.
How business is actually done
Because of sanctions and banking restrictions, much of this commerce does not look like standard open trade.
- Many deals use indirect routes , such as re‑exports via the UAE or other regional hubs, or involve intermediaries that obscure the Iranian origin or destination of goods.
- Oil often moves through smaller independent refineries and traders , especially in China, to sidestep sanctions-related scrutiny.
- Companies that do engage with Iran face high compliance, reputational, and banking risks , and often need complex legal and financial structures to handle payments and logistics.
Quick HTML table of key partners
| Country | Role in trade with Iran | Notable details |
|---|---|---|
| China | Largest overall partner; main oil buyer | Buys most of Iran’s exported crude; also major exporter of consumer and industrial goods to Iran. | [9][1][3]
| India | Significant but smaller partner | Exports foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals; imports chemicals and other goods from Iran. | [1][3]
| Türkiye | Regional neighbor and energy trade partner | Two‑way trade of machinery, chemicals, agricultural products and Iranian gas and metals. | [3][1]
| United Arab Emirates | Transit and re‑export hub | Handles several billion dollars in trade; key channel for Iranian goods into global markets. | [9][1][3]
| Brazil | Major agricultural supplier | Exports billions in soybeans, corn, sugar; imports relatively little from Iran. | [5][3]
| Germany & other EU states | Lower‑volume industrial trade | More constrained by sanctions regimes; trade focused on machinery and specialized goods. | [10][1][9]
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.