Automotive

"Iran’s Rise Investment and Strategy Extension Company (RISECO) and France’s Mecaplast Group signed a joint venture deal on manufacturing auto parts, IRNA reported on Friday. The deal, which was signed by Rise Holding Group’s Chairman of the Board Hamidreza Samadi and Mecaplast’s CEO Pier Boulet in Paris, focuses on production of automotive engine and decorative parts. As Samadi informed, according to the penned deal, 30 percent of the jointly manufactured products will be exported. The signing ceremony was also attended by Iran’s Ambassador to Paris Ali Ahani." ( Tehran Times, "Iranian, French Auto Part Companies Sign Joint-Venture Deal," 2/24/2017).

"After a 24-hour hiatus, the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade resumed registering orders for foreign car imports. PGO Automobile, an independent French luxury sports car producer is also entering the local market with local Iranian partner, Mehrviana Pars Aras." (Financial Tribune, "Industry Ministry Resumes Car Import Registration," 1/5/2017).   

Parent company is Russian Machines Corporation.

--

"The Russian GAZ Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with the mayors of Iranian cities: Tabriz, Karaj, Kum and Urmia on the delivery of 900 LiAZ buses. The sides have agreed on the sales of finished buses and the supply possibilities of vehicle CKD sets following the organisation of the assembly of GAZ Group products in Iran."
(March 2017)

--

"Gaz [s]ays signs [m]emorandum of understanding with municipal authorities of four cities in Iran for supply of 900 LIAZ buses. Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2017." (Reuters, "Gaz to Supply 900 Buses in Iran," 12/27/2016).

"Local vehicle manufacture SAIPA Diesel is in talks with the French Renault Trucks to introduce a new medium-duty truck in Iran. SAIPA Diesel CEO Rasul Mohammad Sadeqi said, “Renault’s D-Wide model will be available to truckers in the coming months,” local automotive website Persian Khodro reported." (September 26, 2017). 

--

"Grégoire Blaise, CEO of Renault Trucks Middle East and North Africa, says following an agreement between Arya Diesel Motors and Renault Trucks in December a training center will be opened to improve the skills and efficiency of boost mechanics." (May 2, 2017).

--

"Renault Trucks say they can see a huge opportunity within the Iran truck market. The French truck manufacturer has just signed an agreement with importer Arya Diesel Motors that will see Renault Trucks not only imported into Iran, but also built there.The deal was signed off on in France with Renault agreeing to allow Arya Diesel Motors to assemble its T range of vehicles." (January 4, 2017).

--

"Renault Trucks is furthering its corporation with the Iranian importer Arya Diesel Motors. On 21 December 2016, the parties signed two agreements in Lyon: an import agreement covering vehicles from the T, C and K ranges and an industrial cooperation agreement for the assembly of T range vehicles." (Renault Trucks, "Renault Trucks signs two agreements with Iranian importer Arya Diesel Motors," 12/21/2016).

Turkish commercial vehicle maker Otokar said on Monday it had signed a technology and licence deal with Iran's OGHAB concerning the export and sale of its Navigo buses. In a statement to the Istanbul stock exchange, Otokar said the deal covered a three-year period with an option to extend by two years and said the deal could generate revenues of around 50 million lira ($14 million) annually. (Reuters, "Turkey's Otokar says signs license deal with Iran's OGHAB for exports," 12/12/2016)

"The central dealership of Iran’s second largest auto manufacturer, SAIPA, opened in Lebanon on Friday. Senior officials from both countries attended the inauguration, namely Iranian Ambassador  Mohammad Fathali and SAIPA chief Mahdi Jamali, Lebanese ministers, politicians and business leaders... In collaboration with Lebanon’s Mecanica Group, SAIPA will offer models with a competitive edge that have acceptable quality and are affordable." (Financial Tribune, "SAIPA Sales Center Opens in Beirut," 12/6/2016).

In 2019 Beiqi Foton was listed on the Texas Comptroller List of Companies Engaging in Scrutinized Business Operations in Iran.  

--

"Iran’s largest auto producer Iran Khodro has launched a new version of its Diesel Tunland off-road pickup truck this week with improved technology, according to the IKCO press website. Tunland is derived from a deal between IKCO and China’s Foton which sells a close copy of the Toyota Hilux pickup truck in several markets including Australia and New Zealand." (May 2017).

--

Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. (“FOTON”), a subsidiary of BAIC Motor Corp. Ltd., was included among the list of “Partners, Sponsors & Participants” at the 4th Iran Automotive Industry International Conference in Iran (“IAIIC”), which took place at the International Conference Center in Tehran’s Milad Tower on February 12-13, 2017. (IAIIC, “4th Iran Automotive Industry International Conference”).

--

Foton Motor Co., Ltd is listed as a participating company at the 14th International Exhibition of Transportation & Urban Services & Related Industries which takes place October 27-30th, 2016 in Tehran Iran. (Participating International Companies) 

"Following the US withdrawal from the JCPOA announced on May 8th, 2018, the Group has begun to suspend its JVs activities, in order to comply with US law by August 6th, 2018. With the support of the French Government, the Groupe PSA is engaging with the US authorities to consider a waiver." (6/4/2018).

--

"In other sectors, French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen reached a deal in 2016 to open a plant producing 200,000 vehicles annually in Iran. It said Wednesday that it is studying the implications of the U.S. move and hopes the European Union will have a united position on the Iranian sanctions." (May 9, 2018). 

--

"French carmaker PSA Group has invited Iran Khodro (IKCO) to set up a production line for Peugeot cars in Algeria, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reports. PSA executive vice-president for purchasing, Yannick Bézard, on Tuesday visited Tehran-based Iran Khodro which has signed production deals worth 700 million euros with PSA. Bézard said Iran Khodro can either provide Peugeot with auto parts it needs at its Algeria site or establish a production line in the North African country as a member of the French automaker." (January 31, 2018).

--

"PSA on Wednes­day reported a rise in car unit sales for 2016 thanks to business in Iran which the carmaker is including again after the end to sanctions against Tehran. With the integration of sales from joint ventures and licence agreements in Iran, Peugeot booked a rise in deliveries of 5.6pc. On a comparable basis, without the integration of the Ira­nian contribution, the figure dropped by 2pc from 2015. The group’ s three brands Peugeot, Citroen and DS, sold just over three million cars last year, of which 233,000 were produced under licence in Iran. In 2015, the group sold 2.9 million units. PSA’ s post-sanctions return to Iran resulted in joint ventures with local companies Iran Khodro and Saipa, and a partnership with Arian Motor." (AFP, "Iran car sales keep PSA on growth track," 1/11/2017).

--

"Citroen cars will roll off an assembly line in Iran starting from 2018, under a deal between French automaker PSA and Iran's SAIPA finalised on Thursday, PSA said. The joint venture, in which PSA and SAIPA will each have a 50 percent stake, will see cars produced at a plant in Kashan, some 200 kilometres (120 miles) south of the capital Tehran... The Kashan plant is used to produce Citroen cars but has not made one since the start of the decade. The two firms plan to invest "more than 300 million euros ($335 million) in manufacturing and R&D capacity over the next five years," PSA said in a statement. The move follows PSA's 400-million-euro deal in June with Khodro to build 200,000 Peugeot vehicles a year in Iran by 2018." (AFP, "Citroen maker seals Iran joint-venture deal," 10/6/2016).

--

"Iran will play a “central” role in French carmaker PSA’s strategic plans for the Middle East, the head of the manufacturing group said Wednesday on his first visit to the country. “Iran is central to the implementation of the strategic growth plan of the PSA group,” Carlos Tavares said during a visit to its local partner, Iran Khodro. The trip cemented a 400 million-euro ($448 million) deal signed in June for the two companies to resume their old partnership, which was cut short by international sanctions in 2012... June’s 50-50 deal created IKAP (Iran Khodro Automobiles Peugeot) which plans to produce three vehicle types, starting in 2017 with the small urban 4x4 Peugeot 2008. The mid-size 301 and small five-door 208 will follow shortly after. PSA aims to reach 200,000 units by 2021, and it hopes to meet the Iranian government’s wish of exporting 30 percent of the production. “Iran is going to be the No. 1 sourcing base for this region,” Tavares said, reiterating PSA’s goal of selling a million units across the Middle East by 2025. “When we reach that number in 2025, 75 percent of this production will be produced in the region ... and of course Iran will be the No. 1 producer,” he added." (AFP, "Iran 'central' to French carmaker's regional plans," 10/6/2016).

"India's Tata Motors is in talks with a local manufacturer here to set up a joint venture for assembling its petrol cars in Iran as it looks to tap the fast growing market that has just emerged from sanctions. Tata Motors is talking to Iran Khodro Company for a joint venture to assemble knocked down units of the petrol versions of its models, including the latest compact car Tiago, Bolt and Zest, which are powered by the company's new Revotron petrol engines, sources said here. Knocked down version of the cars will be imported and assembled at Iran Khodro's manufacturing facility after adding local contents like tyres and batteries. Tata Motors will use Iran Khodro's sales network to sell the cars. The branding will be of Tata Motors and Iran Khodro will be just a contract manufacturer, they said, adding that Tata Motors will start assembling in Iran in less than 2 years." (Press Trust of India, “Tata Motors in talks to set up car unit in Iran,” 5/22/2016)

According to a 2021 Landi Renzo Interim Management Report, Landi Renzo Pars Private Joint Stock Company has an office in Tehran, Iran.

--

Landi Renzo maintains an office in Tehran, Iran, and a relationship with an Iranian dealer, Dana Pishro Puyva Company.  (Landi Renzo Website, “Iran”).   "Landi Group operates since 1954 in the equipment segment for CNG (natural gas vehicles) and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas). It is made by companies Landi Renzo SPA, LR Industry and Commerce Ltda (Brazil Landirenzo) EUROGI (Netherlands), Med (Italy), Landirenzo Polska (Poland), SRL Landi, Landi Beijing (China), Landirenzo Pakistan (Pakistan) and Landirenzo IRAN (Iran)." 

--

"For some foreign companies, it has been a waiting game. They stayed in Iran when the sanctions hit and, like Fanaei in Qatar, put up with the bad times in the hope that the good times would eventually return. Landi Renzo, an Italian producer of autogas and compressed natural gas kits for cars, saw annual revenues in Iran sink from about 35 million euros to about 3 million when sanctions hit, said Pierpaolo Marziali, the firm's head of mergers and acquisitions. There were no Western banks ready to offer guarantees and letters of credit, and the sharp decline of Iran's currency under sanctions made matters worse. 'But we stayed the course and never stopped producing, albeit at minimal levels, and that's put us in a strong position now since we have a kind of preferential channel. Our staff is regularly in Tehran and we're looking forward to relaunching production,' Marziali said. Another Italian company that stuck it out was SABAF, which makes components for household cooking appliances, although its annual sales in Iran fell from about 10 billion euros to around 3 million, Administrative Director Gianluca Beschi said. 'We've already started talks in the country and we hope to be able to boost our sales in 2016 to get back to pre-sanction times,' she said. Italy hopes its trade with Iran will now surge and sees the best opportunities in oil and gas, cars and transport, and construction and furniture. But China, India, Russia and Brazil have kept or gained a foothold in Iran since sanctions were imposed, and Beijing is the top exporter to Tehran. For some companies, the race has already begun." (Reuters, “After sanctions, Iranian and foreign firms await the good times,” 1/24/2016)