The Free Trade Agreement between the EAEU and Iran has entered into force

With the entry into force of the new agreement, the average import customs duty rate on the Iranian side has been reduced from 20% to 4.5% for goods from EAEU countries. This creates unique competitive conditions for producers from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

As noted by EEC Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev, “The parties have already begun preparations for the first meeting of the Joint Committee, which will take place in the second half of 2025 and will focus on deepening trade and economic cooperation.”

The full-scale agreement establishes mutual commitments to provide preferential access for 90% of the total range of goods, including key agricultural and industrial products.

For Kazakhstan, the agreement opens up opportunities for:

• Duty-free exports of up to 3 million tons of wheat per year;

• Up to 1.5 million tons of barley;

• Elimination of duties on corn, buckwheat, chocolate, sunflower oil, steel, fertilizers, and agricultural machinery.

According to experts, the implementation of the agreement could increase trade turnover between the EAEU and Iran to $12 billion in the medium term.

Unlike the 2019 interim agreement, the new version contains improved regulatory provisions aimed at removing technical barriers, harmonizing product quality requirements, and creating a barrier-free environment for mutual trade.

This is especially relevant for the export of food products, industrial equipment, chemical and metallurgical goods, which were previously subject to complex phytosanitary, technical, and tariff restrictions.