Monitoring International Trade

With regard to the bilateral trade between Iran and Turkey, there have been some noticeable changes from mid-2010 through 2014; so that the two countries have witnessed a significant downward trend in their international trade from 2008 to 2010 and the trade is reduced by half in two years.
However, these are common issues that occur in international trade transactions and such fluctuations and irregularities in the two countries' trade market are quite natural, especially when there is no trade network between them.
From 2010 up to the present time [corresponding to 1390 - 1393], there has been an evident improvement in the commercial relationships. Some key points are worth considering in this regard: First, improving political relations between the two countries is surely effective, but may not lead to commercial development per se. Second, accepting the status and the importance of commercial expertise is of crucial significance for consultations that take place in embassies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially Iran's Embassy in Ankara. However, the presence of Iran's Commercial Counsellor as a market-un-locker-expert who, unlike previous approaches, seeks to expand Islamic Republic's share in international markets and consequently seeks to promote national interests, is in its early stages and hopes for strengthening its position will gradually increase as a result of perceiving the necessity of a strong presence in global markets and avoiding a purely political perspective on international relations.
Governments around the world nowadays have a tendency to promote their national interests; as a result, there has been a progress in the status of economic- and commercial-oriented countries, especially those with an economist viewpoint on international relations, many of which have moved beyond the level of an individual and have ventured to establish commercial counseling or trade promotion organization offices. This tendency is far stronger among the advocates of 'economic freedom'. Naturally, Iran can show a great ability for competing in global markets, due to its high economic capacity as well as its recent scientific and technical achievements. Therefore, necessary measures need to be taken to unlock this ability in the global setting; these measures include: signing trade agreements, joining WTO (World Trade Organization), amendment of customs regulations according to current global standards, and finally development and strengthening of commercial counselors' presence and establishing commercial counseling offices which serve as a leading voice for Iran's commercial policy all over the world.
Although it is only in recent years that Iran has experienced the presence of commercial counselor as a monitor and a leading element in the development of exports and international trade and as one who possesses expertise, other countries of the world have witnessed a significant trend in achieving commercial success, especially in non-oil exports. A commercial counselor's performance could be judged by any change in the trade statistics or by the signature and realization of important bilateral trade agreements during his presence. Efficiency of the commercial counselor's activities is basically evident in the measures he take and, at the same time, in the bilateral trade performance during his presence. The most significant of his measures would be: interpreting the working conditions of the host country and providing the necessary information, devising business development strategies in both micro (corporate business strategies) and macro (formulating and proposing business development strategies in the foreign country's market) level, following favorite commercial topics and managing the problems and providing timely reports and notifications of business conditions in the target country, the number of consents for trade-offs and commercial meetings such as swaps between panels and commercial teams, assisting the conclusion of trade agreements or agreements that remove the barriers, and assisting the development of business networks among enterprises, chambers, governmental agencies, unions, and influential trade committees, for the purpose of facilitating commercial relations between the two countries and unifying the two commercial societies.
It is worth noting that at the time of his arrival in the country of service, every commercial counselor may have definite and even brilliant ideas and plans; but consistency of good performance and achieving the best outcome relies heavily on receiving great support from various related agencies inside the country, whether public or private. There will be a ten-fold chance of success in the realization of Iran's commercial goals if the commercial counselor's office is richer in terms of workforce, facility, and fund; further to the fact that the status of Iran's Commercial Counselor of Foreign Affairs has to be known better than it is. Nowadays, although the working conditions of counselors has gradually been showing a good trend, yet we should not resign ourselves to the status quo; since the key to commercial success for any country lies in possessing an equipped commercial counseling office, with professional and efficient work force.