Germany

In November 2016 IMIDRO and BHF-Bank resumed cooperation, especially in the mining and mining industries sectors.

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Noted for conducting business with Iranian banks. (Avi Jorisch, "Iran's dirty banking," 2010)

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“As part of talks in Geneva over the nuclear question, Tehran is pressing world powers to speed up trade finance arrangements on humanitarian deals involving both Western and Iranian banks, according to an Iranian government document seen by Reuters and sources familiar with the initiative. Iranian government officials and international trade sources say Tehran wants to simplify complex trade finance arrangements potentially worth billions of dollars, which would alleviate pressure on the country's sanctioned banking system…Iranian government officials said the document, which has been sent to Iran's Supreme National Security Council, tasked with safeguarding Tehran's interests, listed the following banks as ‘available for further actions’: Standard Chartered Bank (London), Societe Generale (Paris), Banque de Commerce et de Placements (BCP) (Geneva), UniCredit Bank (Munich), Commerzbank (Frankfurt), United Bank (Zurich) and BHF Bank (Frankfurt). It was not clear whether these banks had been approached to provide finance. Two business executives familiar with the initiative said they were aware that Standard Chartered, Societe Generale, Commerzbank were among those on the wish list. Commerzbank, Societe Generale, United Bank and BCP all declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Standard Chartered said the bank was not involved and would not get involved in any transaction with any party from Iran. Unicredit said the group was ‘not aware of, and hence is not participating in any international initiative involving financial institutions related to Iran subsequent to the P5+1 (major powers) accord.’ BHF Bank said it was ‘not offering or providing any financial services with links to Iran.’” (Reuters, “Western banks cold-shoulder Iran trade finance scheme,” 3/13/14)

Rohm USA lists an Iranian distributor on its contact page. (Company website)

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Sakht Abzar Pars Co. Ltd. (SAP), the authorized distributor of Rohm products in Tehran, describes itself as an "engineering and commercial company in the fields of tools, steel material and machinery," and features Rohm on its Tooling Products page. (Iranian distributor website)

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.

Previously sold tunnel-boring equipment to Iran for a water project managed by the IRGC.

Aker Wirth operates in Iran through the WPS Group and previously sold tunnel-boring equipment to Iran for a water project that was managed by the IRGC. (Commentary Magazine, "The Iranian Shell Game," July, 2008)

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“Aker Wirth GmbH develops, manufactures, and sells drilling equipment and machinery in Germany and internationally. It offers tunnel and foundation boring machines for infrastructure projects; core components and solutions for the oil and natural gas industry; and pumping systems for mining and processing industries. The company’s products include draw works, mud pumps, and rotary tables and swivels; full-face tunnel boring, partial excavation, and slurry transport and processing equipment; onshore and offshore foundation, wind energy, and drill string and cutter equipment; and spare parts. It also offers second hand machinery, as well as provides service contacts. The company was formerly known as WIRTH Maschinen- und Bohrgeräte-Fabrik GmbH and changed its name to Aker Wirth GmbH on June 30, 2009. The company was founded in 1895 and is based in Erkelenz, Germany. As of September 4, 2007, Aker Wirth GmbH is a subsidiary of Aker Solutions ASA” (Bloomberg Business Week, "Aker Wirth GmbH – Private Company Information," 2010.)

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In the business of TBMs, “Aker Wirth manufactures and supplies tunnel boring machines for mechanized tunnel driving for all geological conditions and all environmental requirements. Aker Wirth machines are in use in tunnel boring projects all over the world and for the excavation of a wide variety of tunnels” (Mining Technology, Net Resources International, "Aker Wirth - Tunnel Boring Machines, Raise Boring and Full-Face Shaft Boring Machines," 2010).

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Wirth has an Iran office, WPS Group Ltd. (Iranian Wirth Subsidiary)

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An Iranian website features Wirth tunneling projects in Iran, including the Tabriz Metro Project.  (Iran Project website)
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Wirth has been involved in completed tunneling projects in Alborz and Ghomrud (World Tunnelling, “Iranian TBMs continue steady march,” December 23, 2009). 

“Kadiran Industrial Tools has established on 1985 and now it became on of major Iranians Oil-Gas & Petrochemical Suppliers.  Who held huge stock for Iranian market and both technically and commercially able to handle enquiries.”  [SIC]

The Kadiran website lists Knuth as one of its suppliers (Kadiran Website).

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On the “Trade Shows” section of its website, Knuth lists 10th Tehran Industry International Exhibition (TIIE 2010) to be held October 6-9, 2010 (Knuth Website).  The fair is organized by the Iran International Exhibitions Co. (www.iranfair.com) and the IDRO International Trading Co. (www.idro-fairs.com).

The company will also be participating in numerous American trade shows, including the International Manufacturing Trade Show (IMTS) in Illinois in September, 2010, and Fabtech in Atlanta, Georgia (Knuth Website).

“Layher International is a world-leading scaffolding producer and supplier for the petrochemical, energy, manufacturing and construction industries and for commercial, infrastructure, industrial and event applications.  With home offices in Germany, Layher has a respected global presence in Europe, Asia, South America, the United States and Canada.” (Layher USA Website- About us)

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"California’s department of general services, which awards its public contracts, has contacted more than 150 companies seeking clarification regarding Iran. The companies include Layher, a German construction group that recently told UANI it had not done business in Iran for six years, and ABB, the Swiss electrical engineering group."(Financial Times. "California tightens screw on trade with Iran," 6/27/11)

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“Kadiran Industrial Tools has established on 1985 and now it became on of major Iranians Oil-Gas & Petrochemical Suppliers.  Who held huge stock for Iranian market and both technically and commercially able to handle enquiries.”  [SIC]

The Kadiran website lists Layher as one of its suppliers (Kadiran Website).

Merged with DNV GL in 2013. 

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"Germany's Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has stopped verifying safety and"Germany's Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has stopped verifying safety and environmental standards for Iran's biggest shipping companies, a letter from the company showed, the last big European classification society to pull back as sanctions heat up. Without verification from such bodies, ships are unable to call at international ports. The move follows similar decisions in recent weeks by British classification society Lloyd's Register, France's Bureau Veritas and Norway's Det Norske Veritas to halt operations in Iran as Western powers pile pressure on the Islamic Republic over its disputed nuclear programme, putting companies that still trade with Iran in the firing line. In a letter sent to U.S. pressure group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) dated June 15 and seen by Reuters, GL said it had stopped offering services to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC). 'It is of the utmost importance that we maintain our good reputation,' GL said in the letter. 'Therefore, we have pursued the decision to cease rendering services to the Iranian companies mentioned... 'UANI, which includes former U.S. ambassadors on its board and is funded by private donations, had said GL's cover for IRISL was in violation of EU sanctions. UANI, which seeks to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons, had also pressured Bureau Veritas before the French firm stopped its Iran cover... Mark Wallace, UANI's chief executive and a former U.S. ambassador, welcomed GL's decision. 'The shipping industry is now set to help deny the Iranian regime critical access to global trade and seaborne crude oil exports,' Wallace said in a statement. 'GL is absolutely correct in stating that working with the Iranian regime is badly damaging to a corporation's good name and reputation,' he added." (Reuters, "Iran feels heat as Europe ship classifiers halt work," 6/18/12)

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Germanisher Lloyd is a consulting and classification firm that deals mainly with the maritime and energy industries. GL "developes new tools, methodologies, standard and recommended practices to solve technical questions qhile reinforcing high safety and quality standards" (Company Website). Their main business fields are ship classification, oil and gas, and renewables. In 2009, the company's revenue reached 686 million euros (Company Website). 

GL maintains three offices in Iran, two of which are in Tehran and the other at the port of Bandar Abbas. The two Tehran offices are "country offices" and the Bandar Abbas location is a "station"  (Company Website). 

DQS is "an independent and competent management partner for companies of every size and all business sectors" (Company Website). They provide certification, inspection and assessment for a wide variety of management systems and processes, for purposes of "risk management, information security, and business excellence" (Company Website). DQS is a part of the DQS-UL Group, after a merger with the American company Underwriters Laboratories.

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DQS has an office in Tehran, called "DQS Middle East" (Company Website). The Iranian website of this venture is currently under construction. 

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On its website in its "Customer Database," DQS lists 428 customers for the Islamic Republic of Iran, including many companies active in Iran's sanctioned oil and gas industry. 

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More serious are DQS's ties to Amin Industrial Complex, an Iranian company and "leading manufacturer of cooler and air conditioner in Iran" (Amin Website). Amin Industrial Complex was singled out in the UN's report on "Individuals and Entities Involved in Nuclear or Ballistic Missile Activities," where Amin Industrial Complex was described as having "sought temperature controllers which may be used in nuclear research and operational/production facilities." Furthermore, the company "is owned or controlled by, or acts on behalf of, the [Iranian] Defense Industries Organization" (UN Report). 

Amin Industrial Complex prominently displays a scanned quality certification certificate from DQS (Amin Website), revealing that DQS has guaranteed the efficient operation of a company that is involved in procuring technology for the Iranian nuclear program. Amin Industrial Complex is openly listed on DQS's Customer Database (Company Website). 

Has said it will end its two projects in Iran by September due to “altered banking practices” resulting from the reimposition of U.S. sanctions; projects were undertaken between Deutsche Bahn subsidiary DB Engineering and Consulting jointly with Iranian rail operator Bonyad Eastern Railways and Iranian state railway RAI. ("German rail operator, Deutsche Telekom end Iran projects," Reuters, August 16, 2018.)

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More recently, on July 29, 2017, following a meeting between the Iranian Minister of Transport Abbas Akhoundi and Germany’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Brigitte Zypries, the Tehran Times reported, “Akhoundi also held talks with Ronald Pofalla, the board member for infrastructure at Deutsche Bahn AG, who said transferring knowledge and technology to Iran is on the agenda.”  (Tehran Times, “Iran, Germany mull over expanding economic, banking ties,” 7/29/2017).

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On May 21, 2017, the Financial Tribune reported that a “memorandum of understanding was signed between Iran’s Bon Rail Company, a rail passenger transport firm affiliated with Iran’s Mostazafan Foundation, and German rail company Deutsche Bahn AG on the sidelines of the Fifth International Exhibition of Rail Transportation, Related Industries and Equipment, which was held in Tehran on May 15-18.” (Financial Tribune, “Iran Signs Rail MoU With Deutsche Bahn,” 5/21/2017).

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In May 2017, an MoU was signed between Iran’s Bon Rail Company, a rail passenger transport firm affiliated with Iran’s Mostazafan Foundation and Deutsche Bahn.

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Deutsche Bahn AG is a leading transportation and logistics company with numerous subsidiaries. It operates transport networks via rail, land, ocean and air, for both passengers and freight. The company has annual revenues of around 30 billion euros, and is one of the largest companies of its kind in the world (Company Website). 

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One of Deutsche Bahn AG's subsidiaries, DB Schenker, is a partner company of Meshkin Co Ltd (Subsidiary Website), a shipping company that operates exclusively out of Iran (Meshkin Website). Meshkin is responsible for a significant portion of Iranian exports shipping, and its website explains that "In the near future we will be witnessing a remarkable jump in petrochemical exports, made available from investments in the gas fields of South Pars" (Meshkin Website). 

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Additionally, DB Schenker itself has an Iranian subsidiary, Delta Bar Int'l Transport and Shipping Services (Subsidiary Website). Delta Bar has an annual sales volume of $11 million (Business Monitor, subscription needed). 

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Deutsche Post DHL conducts business for Iran at DHL Express Iran in Tehran, Iran.

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Rahavard International Transport Co. Ltd serves as an exclusive agent of DHL Global Forwarding in Iran.

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"DHL Freight enables streamlined access to the Iranian market for European companies. For this purpose, DHL Freight installed two competence centers at the gateways in Frankfurt, Germany, and in Istanbul, Turkey, for seamless exports to Iran. Due to the reduction of economic sanctions and the positive development of trade in Iran, the demand for logistics solutions is increasing. DHL Freight supports companies exporting their goods to the region by offering pan-European part- and full truck loads as well as weekly departures for groupage shipments. "We are delighted about the new possibilities arising in the Iranian market. The recent political and economic developments present great potential for doing business. With its years of expertise our competence centers want to support companies realizing this potential by expanding their trade relations in Iran," stated Amadou Diallo, Chief Executive Officer, DHL Freight." (Deutsche Post DHL Group, "DHL to tap Iranian import market for European companies," 10/24/2016).

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Deutsche Post DHL is the largest logistics and mailing company in the world, with over 500,000 employees and around 46 billion euros in annual revenue (Company Fact Sheet). It operates the popular DHL mailing service. 

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Deutsche Post DHL maintains a logistics office in Iran through the Rahavard International Transport Co. in Tehran (Company Website), as well as a distinct Iranian website. The DHL mailing service is utilized throughout Iran, with Deutsche Post running 11 distinct service point locations in the country (Company Website). 

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Deutsche Post's Corporate Responsibility policy enumerates "a special responsibility to use our global presence, as well as the knowledge, experience and commitment of our employees in local markets around the world, to benefit society (Company Website).