Liebherr Group

Construction
1
Switzerland
Liebherr Group

The Iranian company HEPCO lists Liebherr products under license on its company website. Please, therefore, clarify the current status of Liebherr’s business ties with HEPCO. (HEPCO Website, “Under License: Liebherr")

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Swiss engineering group Liebherr and Finland’s Konecranes (KCRA.HE) and Cargotec (CGCBV.HE) have told India Ports Global Pvt Ltd, which is developing the deep water port, they were unable to take part in the bids as their banks were not ready to facilitate transactions involving Iran due to the uncertainty over U.S. policy, the two officials said in separate conversations with Reuters. (June 2017)

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Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock was advertised as a participant in 2017 for IRANIMEX, which was “formed to expand, develop and create international opportunities for Iran’s maritime and offshore technologies.” IRANIMEX Website, “Preliminary list of confirmed exhibitors as per 24 November 2017,” 11/24/2017; IRANIMEX Website, “IRANIMEX 2016 [Floorplan],” 2016.

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"…[Liebherr ] has won the tender for equipping Shahid Rajaee Port because of its high quality manufactured gantry cranes, announced, managing director of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).  Liebherr is also eager to reconnect to the Iranian market, Mohammad Saeed-Nejad added.  Liebherr had informed its customers and business associates in Iran that the company ceases their business activities with them as of May 2011." (Haftdarya, “Construction German company Liebherr wins tender for Iran’s biggest port,” 2/16/2016). 

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The Liebherr Group is a large, decentralized manufacturing company made up of over 100 companies that operate independently under the Liebherr Group banner, with a workforce of over 32,000 and revenues of 6.96 billion euros in 2009. The Liebherr Group focuses on construction equipment and specializes in cranes, aircraft parts, and mining (Company Website).

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According to the Liebherr, the company sells equipment in Iran through the Tehran-based Boron Marz Co. (Liebherr website. “Sales and service partners worldwide”).

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In 2004, a company press release revealed that the Iranian “Ports and Shipping Organization,” closely linked to Iran’s blacklisted Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL)—which is inextricably connected to the regime’s missile and nuclear programs—possesses “a total of 26 Liebherr harbour mobile cranes, including 6 different crane types.” (Liebherr website, “Iranian customer purchases the 100th Liebherr harbour mobile crane, type LHM 400”)

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According to World Cargo News, in 2005 the Ports and Shipping Organization purchased another six Liebherr cranes. (World Cargo News, “Mobile cranes roll to record levels,” January 2006)

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The Iranian company Shenavar Saze Pooyesh (SSP) states it is the exclusive agent of Liebherr Werk Nenzig, the Austrian subsidiary of Liebherr (SSP website. “Home.”) SSP major clients are in the shipping and oil and gas industries, including such sanctioned entities as the IRISL, which is listed as using “Liebherr Deck Cranes” (SSP website. “About us.”)

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In 2005, the German government worked to stop the delivery of a special-purpose $785,000 Liebherr crane to Mizan Machine, a blacklisted Iranian shell company affiliated with Iran’s ballistic missile program. It was suspected the crane would be used to support the regime’s missile program. (Der Spiegel, “Will a German Crane Be Used By the Mullahs to Make Missiles?”, 4/25/05; Iran Watch, “Iranian Entity: Mizan Machine Manufacturing Group). It is unclear if the German government succeeded in stopping the delivery.

 

 

“After internal investigations… we… are not [a] customer of the Iranian company “Diesel Motor A.F.Z.” mentioned in [y]our letter and that any reference to our Group… as apparently appearing on the Website of the above company lacks our approval (and we would assume that this applies [to] most, if not all of the western companies listed in the print out of the website…) Neither we nor – to the best of our current knowledge – any of our affiliates maintain business relations with Iranian entities” (April 16, 2020)