Germany

On its Company Website, Motan Colortronic lists a representative office in Tehran through Varzidehkar Co.

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Motan Colortronic has an extensive American presence.

"German steel plant maker SMS Group signed a $400 million deal in February last year to expand capacity of an Iranian steel plant. However, it has put its plans on ice and is wrapping up its business in the country." (5/24/2018).

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"During a two-day visit to Tehran the German economy ministry said several firms from the Mittelstand, the small-to-medium-sized companies that form the backbone of the economy, had also signed deals with Iranian partners. These included SMS group, a builder of steelmaking plants, and INTRA industrial solutions." (Reuters, "Siemens signs Iran rail contract as Germany drums up business," 10/3/2016). 

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“As economic sanctions eased last month under a temporary accord, Iran is shaping up as a hot, untapped opportunity for Western steel exporters, particularly high-grade varieties…About 45 producers sent representatives to a steel conference last month in Tehran to study export opportunities and investing in Iran’s domestic industry, Karbasian said. More than 10 steelmakers contacted by Bloomberg declined to comment or said they hadn’t attended the event…Germany’s SMS Siemag gave addresses at the steel event in Tehran, Karbasian said…A spokesman for SMS, which sells equipment to the steel industry, said it attended the conference to rebuild relationships in the country. The company, which has done business in Iran for more than 25 years, said while it’s products were not covered by sanctions it had halted trade as its customers struggled to access finance for deals.” (Bloomberg, “Iran Thaw Seen Re-Stoking $6 Billion Market for Steel,” 3/12/14)

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“The German SMS Siemag company is ready for investment in Iranian steel projects, president and CEO of SMS Siemag, Burkhard Dahmen said, Tasnim news agency reported on Dec. 4. Dahmen made the remarks during a meeting with head of the Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), Mahdi Karbasian in Tehran. Dahmen underlined that the EU policy towards boosting relations with Iran is a new opportunity which should not be lost. During the meeting two sides agreed that SMS Siemag to involve in joint venture with other international steel companies in Iranian steel projects. SMS Siemag has earlier participated in some steel projects in Iran including the Hormozgan and Mobarakeh steel plants.” (Trend, “German company ready to invest in Iranian steel projects," 12/6/13)

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In 2006, SMS Siemag, then called SMS Demag, helped to build a “turnkey iron and steel plant in the Iranian province of Hormozgan, not far from the provincial capital of Bandar Abbas, [Iran].” (Press Relase, "SMS Demag AG builds an iron and steel plant on the Persian Gulf,” 6/21/06)

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October 2017 - "The decision of U.S. President Trump has no direct impact on the operations and business development of DF Deutsche Forfait and the trade between the EU and Iran. The international agreement (JCPOA) is a multilateral treaty. All the other JCPOA negotiating partners involved, including Iran, have already stated beforehand that they will adhere to the agreement in case U.S. President Trump should question it. In addition, there are also powerful voices within the administration of the U. S. President and the Republican Party, for example Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis or Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Bob Corker, who recommend not to terminate the agreement. Against this background, it is unlikely that the suspended sanctions will be reinstated or that substantial new sanctions will be imposed. As a result, the DF Group does currently not expect any adverse effects on its operations and the trading activities of its business partners with Iran."

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"On the occasion of the EURO FINANCE WEEK in Frankfurt, DF Deutsche Forfait Group and the Iranian Saman Bank signed a memorandum of understanding regarding a cooperation in the foreign trade finance sector. The planned collaboration primarily covers the supply of financing solutions for the exchange of goods between German and international exporters and their Iranian trading partners. In addition, the parties intend to offer consulting services to clients wishing to establish trade relationships with Iranian business partners." (November 24, 2016).

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On its Company Website, DF Deutsche Forfait AG lists a U.S. subsidiary, "DF Deutsche Forfait Americas Inc."

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“Today the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced actions targeting a diverse set of entities and individuals located around the world for evading U.S. sanctions against Iran, aiding Iranian nuclear and missile proliferation, and supporting terrorism.  These actions reflect the United States’ sustained commitment to continue enforcing our existing sanctions as the P5+1 and Iran work toward a comprehensive solution to address the international community’s concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. ’The global targets designated today play key roles in supporting Iran’s nuclear program and active support for terrorism.  The United States has made clear that as it implements the Joint Plan of Action, contingent on Iran satisfying its own commitments, the overwhelming majority of sanctions remain in effect and will continue to be vigorously enforced,’ said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. Today’s actions target entities and individuals located across the world, operating in Turkey, Spain, Germany, Georgia, Afghanistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Liechtenstein...German firm DF Deutsche Forfait Aktiengesellschaft (Deutsche Forfait) and Deutsche Forfait board member Ulrich Wippermann facilitated oil deals in circumvention of oil sanctions for NIOC, an entity determined to be an agent or affiliate of the IRGC and designated under E.O. 13382.  DF Deutsche Forfait Americas Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Deutsche Forfait.  NIOC was designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 in November 2012 for providing or attempting to provide, financial, material, or other support for and services in support of the IRGC." (U.S. Department of Treasury, “Treasury Targets Networks Linked To Iran,” 2/6/14)

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"The rising costs of doing business with Iran have forced long-standing regional suppliers out of business, according to DF Deutsche Forfait AG, DE6.XE -2.93%   which provides financial services for EU companies trading with Iran. An official at the company said that some German exporters of medical equipment have recently had to cancel trades with Iran after being unable to find banks to service them... DF Deutsche Forfait started such services for Iranian trade in 2000 and says it is still active in this market" (The Wall Street Journal, "Willing Banks Find Profits in Legal Trade With Iran," 4/8/12) 

Gemu has an affiliate distributor in Tehran called Sinarad Kala Ltd.

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"Germany has been Iran’s most important Western trading partner despite the international sanctions on Tehran. In 2012, German firms exported goods worth 2.5 billion euros to Iran. In the nine months from January to September this year, the number was 1.3 billion euros. Haaretz has obtained a list of firms from the German-Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Tehran, known as AHK Iran in its German abbreviation. The list discusses 'branches, agencies and representatives of German companies in Iran 2012.' AHK Iran, which is partially funded Germany’s Ministry of Economy and Technology, supports German companies in their dealings with Iran. The list, published at the end of 2012, includes the names and areas of operations of 136 German companies that do business with Iran. One company on the list, Bomafa Armaturen GmbH, is a maker of high-pressure valves and specialty valves for use in power stations and industrial plants. According to the company’s website, its equipment is used in nuclear plants as well. Bomafa is represented in Tehran by an Iranian firm, Sinarad Kala Ltd., a supplier of industrial valves and accessories. Another German company represented by Sinarad Kala is Gemu GmbH & Co. KG, based in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. The firm describes itself as a leading manufacturer of valves, instrumentation and measurement systems. Gemu declined to respond to Haaretz’s queries." (Haaretz, "German firms sold sensitive equipment to Iran even during sanctions regime," 12/8/13)

"The Justice Department is continuing to examine whether Clearstream Banking SA and its parent company, Deutsche Boerse AG, provided a conduit for illegal Iranian transactions and made false statements to regulators during a review of Deutsche Boerse’s unsuccessful 2012 bid to buy the New York Stock Exchange, two people with knowledge of the matter said." (February 21, 2017)

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Deutsche Börse Group is the parent company of Clearstream

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“Deutsche Börse said on Wednesday that its Clearstream unit was the subject of a criminal investigation into potential violations of United States money laundering laws and sanctions against Iran. The German stock exchange said the unit was cooperating with an investigation by the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York. ‘The investigation is in a very early stage and our U.S. counsels are currently analyzing the situation,’ Clearstream said in a statement on Wednesday. ‘Investigation is a search process in a criminal proceeding. It is not a prosecution. Clearstream is currently not subject to prosecution’…Clearstream, based in Luxembourg, provides post-trading and settlement services – namely delivering cash and securities between trading parties. It settles more than 250,000 transactions a day. On Wednesday, Clearstream said Mr. Bharara’s office had recently issued a grand jury subpoena seeking data on any property belonging to Iran or its central bank that was possibly being held by Clearstream, as well as services or acts undertaken by the unit for Iran’s benefit. Clearstream said it would comply with the laws of all relevant jurisdictions…In January, Clearstream agreed to pay $152 million to settle civil claims by the Treasury Department that its United States account was used as a conduit to hold about $2.8 billion in securities for Iran’s central bank between December 2007 and June 2008.” (New York Times, “Deutsche Börse Unit Is Subject of U.S. Criminal Investigation,” 4/2/14)

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“A U.S. grand jury is probing whether Deutsche Boerse AG's Clearstream Banking SA unit took any steps to benefit Iran and its central bank, according to a court filing in a case that stems from the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut. The grand jury subpoena issued in New York seeks documents related to any property held or any services rendered by Clearstream for the benefit of Iran or its central bank, Bank Markazi. The grand jury is looking at possible violations of money laundering and Iran sanctions laws, according to the subpoena. A spokesman for Luxembourg-based Clearstream said the bank was aware of the subpoena but had no further information on the investigation. The filing on Monday came as part of a lawsuit brought by family members of the victims of the Beirut bombing, who won a $2.7 billion judgment against Iran in 2007. The families have accused Iran of providing material support to Hezbollah, which carried out the attack, killing 241 U.S. servicemen. The lawsuit was filed in 2010 after the U.S. Treasury Department uncovered $1.8 billion in Iranian funds held at Citibank in New York, part of Citigroup Inc. The complaint named Iran and a number of banks, including Citi, Bank Markazi, Clearstream and Rome-based Banca UBAE, as defendants and sought to have the funds turned over to help satisfy the judgment. The other banks were alleged to have helped Iran hide its control of the accounts and transfer money out of the bank after it was ordered frozen…Citi did not oppose the plaintiffs' request to have the funds handed over, but Clearstream, Banca UBAE and Bank Markazi all moved to dismiss the lawsuit…In January, in a separate case, Clearstream agreed to pay $152 million to settle U.S. government claims that the banking unit held some $2.8 billion in securities in the United States for Bank Markazi. The bank said in January that the settlement ended the probe without a formal finding that Clearstream had violated U.S. sanctions laws prohibiting Iran's central bank from any financial dealings with the United States. The case is Peterson v Islamic Republic of Iran, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 10-4518.” (Reuters, “U.S. grand jury probing Deutsche Borse unit's ties to Iran bank,” 4/1/14)

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“A Deutsche Boerse unit agreed to pay $152 million to settle allegations that it held some $2.8 billion in securities in the United States for the central bank of Iran, the U.S. Treasury said on Thursday. The unit, Clearstream Banking of Luxembourg, had an account with a U.S. financial institution in New York from December 2007 to June 2008 through which Iran's central bank held interest in 26 corporate and sovereign bonds, the Treasury Department said. It did not name the U.S. financial institution involved. ‘Clearstream provided the government of Iran with substantial and unauthorized access to the U.S. financial system,’ Adam Szubin, who leads the Treasury office that enforces U.S. sanctions, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, said in a statement. Deutsche Boerse, which had already disclosed the settlement amount in November, said on Thursday the settlement closed the probe without a formal finding that Clearstream had violated U.S. sanctions laws…Clearstream met with U.S. officials about the account in 2007 and 2008, and decided to end its business with Iranian clients, Treasury said. According to the settlement, in February 2008 Clearstream transferred the rights to the Iranian central bank's securities to a custody account of a European commercial bank held by Clearstream. But Iran continued to own those securities, and the securities continued to sit in Clearstream's New York account, the Treasury Department said. Emails also showed that several Clearstream employees, including at least one supervisor and one senior executive, recognized that transferring the securities to a custody account still meant Iran's central bank owned them, according to the settlement. Clearstream neither admitted nor denied the Treasury Department's allegations. Clearstream eventually cooperated with OFAC and stopped dealing with Iran, according to the Treasury Department, which said it agreed to reduce the ultimate size of the fine. Under the settlement, Clearstream is required to maintain policies that ensure similar actions do not happen again.” (Reuters, “Deutsche Boerse to pay $152 million in U.S. sanctions probe,” 1/23/14)

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"Deutsche Boerse agreed on Thursday to pay $152 million to settle allegations by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that the company's Clearstream unit may have violated U.S. economic sanctions tied to Iran. The German exchange operator received an offer from the United States in October after OFAC closed the investigation." (Reuters, "Deutsche Boerse settles Iran suit with U.S.," 11/7/13)

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"Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1) said the fine its Clearstream unit faces from U.S. government allegations that it violated sanctions against Iran may be half the previously disclosed amount. The penalty totals $169 million, or only $152 million if the Frankfurt-based company settles with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Deutsche Boerse said in a statement yesterday. In January, Deutsche Boerse said it might have to pay $340 million. The Treasury investigation, which Deutsche Boerse said has concluded, centered on securities transfers within the Clearstream system in 2008, following the company’s decision in 2007 to close Iranian customers’ accounts. The company started talks on a deal with the U.S. Treasury in 2008, the Frankfurt-based exchange said earlier this year…'A settlement with OFAC would not constitute a final determination that a violation has occurred,' Deutsche Boerse said in yesterday’s statement. The exchange operator will now decide whether to settle with U.S. regulators, it said. The fine will be included as a provision in the company’s third-quarter filing. Deutsche Boerse shares slid 1.83 euros, or 3.2 percent, to 55.57 euros at 9:22 a.m. in Frankfurt today, the biggest drop in 11 weeks." (Bloomberg, "Deutsche Boerse’s Iran Fine From U.S. Is Half Estimate," 10/29/13)

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"Deutsche Boerse on Thursday said it would ask a U.S. court to dismiss claims against its Clearstream unit from relatives of a 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut. For a settlement to go through, Deutsche Boerse needed the approval of a certain amount of plaintiffs. 'The requisite number of signatures has been obtained,' Boerse said in a regulatory statement. Through its Clearstream unit, Deutsche Boerse has been embroiled in a legal dispute with U.S. plaintiffs seeking damages from Iran for Clearstream's alleged role in helping Hezbollah carry out the barracks attack during the civil war in Lebanon. As part of this action, U.S. plaintiffs sought in 2008 to freeze Iranian funds held in Luxembourg-based Clearstream's securities account. The U.S. amended a sanctions bill against Iran in August 2012 which opened the door to further damages claims against foreign lenders including Clearstream." (Reuters, "Deutsche Boerse to seek dismissal of Clearstream case in U.S.," 10/24/13)

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"Deutsche Boerse AG said U.S. regulators may fine its Clearstream settlement unit as much as $340 million over possible violations of sanctions against Iran.  Clearstream has started talks on a deal with the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control related to securities transfers within its settlement system in 2008, the Frankfurt-based exchange said in a statement today. Deutsche Boerse shares rose 0.2 percent to 47.03 euros at the close of trading in Frankfurt. Standard Chartered Plc agreed to pay $327 million in fines last month, including $132 million to OFAC, after regulators said it violated U.S. sanctions with Iran. Britain's second- largest bank by market value was accused of helping Iran launder about $250 billion in violation of federal laws, keeping false records and handling wire transfers for Iranian clients." (Bloomberg, "Deutsche Boerse Faces $340 Million Fine Over Iran," 01/09/13)

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"The Senate and the House of Representatives are drafting bills that would seek to blacklist essentially every Iranian bank. The U.S. Treasury has blacklisted 18 Iranian banks, but lawmakers say Tehran is using more than 20 other banks to finance its nuclear program and its support for militant groups, such as Hamas in the Palestinian territories and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Treasury Department officials said Wednesday that they have blacklisted 23 Iranian financial institutions in actions taken against banks and other firms. Congressional officials said the new legislation will also target communications, software and technology companies that continue to do business with Iranian banks. Possible targets include Deutsche Börse AG's Clearstream unit and Belgium-based Euroclear Group, which are believed to facilitate financial transactions for Iran's central bank. Clearstream didn't respond to requests to comment." (The Wall Street Journal, "U.S. to Probe Iran's Commitment to Talk," 3/7/2012)

"TESSAG INA Iran AG (former Klöckner INA Iran AG) is a 100% German-owned subsidiary [of GEORG GmbH], founded around 40 years ago... The main field of activities is industrial plants, machine tools, engineering and procurement, [and] consulatation in the following sectors: oil, gas and petrochemical, mines and metals, automotive, home appliance, [and] transportation." (Tessag Iran website, "Home"; GEORG website, "Agencies")

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GEORG's contact at Tessag Iran, Mr. Hermann Josef Konradi, is a board member of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce in Tehran. (German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce website, "Vorstand"; GEORG website, "Agencies")

Lucobit's company website lists “Lucobit Midde East FCZ ” as its representative and contact in Tehran, Iran. (Lucobit website, "Sales")

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Lucobit's CEO, Mr. Robert M. Riegler, serves as a Vice President of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce in Tehran. (Lucobit website, "Imprint"; German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce website, "Vorstand")

Ruhfus Systemhydraulik lists Persia Fanavaran Farjad, an Iranian engineering company, as a partner company. (Company Website)

"According to the website Fleetmon.com 'TS Jakarta' (IMO: 9383223) has been calling at Bandar Abbas and Bandar E-Shahid Reajie ports repeatedly between September 2012 and June 2013, spending over 36 hours in the Bandar E- Shahid Reajie port area as recently as 5/9/2013 - 11.05.2013." (United Against Nuclear Iran: Letter to Rudolf Schepers, 7/22/13)

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“The website Fleetmon.com showed 'TS Jakarta' (IMO: 9383223) indicated Bandar Abbas as its last destination on 12/11/2012." (United Against Nuclear Iran: Letter to Rudolf Schepers, 7/22/13)

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“The website marinetraffic.com showed 'TS Jakarta' (IMO: 9383223) indicated Bandar Abbas as its next destination via AIS on 6/25/2013." (United Against Nuclear Iran: Letter to Rudolf Schepers, 7/22/13)

"In another recent episode, the monitoring system showed that three vessels operated by Medallion Reederei GmbH, a German shipping company, had visited Iranian ports operated by Tidewater Middle East Company, a sanctioned Iranian port management company. After Mr. Wallace wrote to the shipper expressing concern, its managing director, Falk Holtmann, sent a letter assuring him he was looking into the port calls and would 'not tolerate any breach of international sanctions.'" (New York Times, "Group Keeps Long-Distance Watch on Iran and Possible Sanction Violations," 6/20/2013)