Is America launching an export offensive against Iran?

And why on earth does exporting to Iran deserve its own dedicated discussion? There are still 195 other countries out there that America can trade with, many of which are far more vital to our interests than a distant and relatively underdeveloped Iran.

rustywalker32 said:And why on earth does exporting to Iran deserve its own dedicated discussion? There are still 195 other countries out there that America can trade with, many of which are far more vital to our interests than a distant and relatively underdeveloped Iran.

Then go ahead and start a new thread for those other 195 countries and leave this one alone if you don't have anything useful to add... just let the river flow...

rustywalker32 said:And why on earth does exporting to Iran deserve its own dedicated discussion? There are still 195 other countries out there that America can trade with, many of which are far more vital to our interests than a distant and relatively underdeveloped Iran.

1. Objectively speaking, because this kind of stuff matters just as much to Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Russia... and let's be real, those guys probably know a hell of a lot more about global trade than we do.

2. Subjectively? Because our Department of State is basically clueless when it comes to spotting a golden opportunity. As for the US Chamber of Commerce or the Department of State—or whatever that whole agency is called—they seem mostly preoccupied with importing stuffed teddy bears.

Jack Cook7 said:1. Objectively speaking, because this kind of stuff matters just as much to Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Russia... and let's be real, those guys probably know a hell of a lot more about global trade than we do.

2. Subjectively? Because our Department of State is basically clueless when it comes to spotting a golden opportunity. As for the US Chamber of Commerce or the Department of State—or whatever that whole agency is called—they seem mostly preoccupied with importing stuffed teddy bears.

1. So, are people on Austrian, Swiss, and Italian forums actually starting discussions about exporting to Iran?🤣

2. Honestly, our Department of State and the US Chamber of Commerce are pretty much bystanders in all of this. It’s the private companies doing the actual exporting, not the government or the Chamber. The fact that politicians constantly try to take credit for economic wins is a whole different conversation.

rustywalker32 said:1. So, are people on Austrian, Swiss, and Italian forums actually starting discussions about exporting to Iran?🤣

2. Honestly, our Department of State and the US Chamber of Commerce are pretty much bystanders in all of this. It’s the private companies doing the actual exporting, not the government or the Chamber. The fact that politicians constantly try to take credit for economic wins is a whole different conversation.

Yeah, and they're doing it right alongside all the chatter about those protests over in Canada. ☕

2. Our Department of State and the US Chamber of Commerce are basically just side characters here. It's the companies doing the exporting, not the government agencies. The fact that politicians love to take all the credit for economic wins is a whole other conversation.

Man, oh man. You try explaining to me how some tiny company with maybe 100 employees suddenly builds high-level connections in Iran. What, do they just hop on Facebook or LinkedIn and find a buddy? Why is it that when a Chinese or Korean Prime Minister travels, they've got a massive entourage of business leaders trailing them everywhere? Why does the Department of State in other countries constantly bring their business moguls along on trips, and why don't they do the same thing back home?

What is the Department of State even for? Just stamping visas for Unknown people? Do they spend all day having these super serious, high-stakes talks about bilateral relations regarding interplanetary travel or teaming up with aliens from the planet Unknown—just to sit down with some Iraqi leader?

Jack Cook7 said:Yeah, and they're doing it right alongside all the chatter about those protests over in Canada. ☕

2. Our Department of State and the US Chamber of Commerce are basically just side characters here. It's the companies doing the exporting, not the government agencies. The fact that politicians love to take all the credit for economic wins is a whole other conversation.

Man, oh man. You try explaining to me how some tiny company with maybe 100 employees suddenly builds high-level connections in Iran. What, do they just hop on Facebook or LinkedIn and find a buddy? Why is it that when a Chinese or Korean Prime Minister travels, they've got a massive entourage of business leaders trailing them everywhere? Why does the Department of State in other countries constantly bring their business moguls along on trips, and why don't they do the same thing back home?

What is the Department of State even for? Just stamping visas for Unknown people? Do they spend all day having these super serious, high-stakes talks about bilateral relations regarding interplanetary travel or teaming up with aliens from the planet Unknown—just to sit down with some Iraqi leader?

How does a company of a hundred people establish ties in Iran? It’s the same way they do it anywhere else—by applying for contracts, investing in marketing, or opening a local office. I’m certainly not saying the government plays zero role, but this widespread rumor in America that the President or the Department of State needs to personally lead a parade of businessmen by the hand to foreign soil just to close big deals is nothing more than basic pre-election PR.

An offensive?

Let's hit back with some style—think classic American beauty. They're coming at us with those heavy coverings. Just look at this perfect example: the spokesperson for the US Department of State.
One stylish American girl is worth seven of those outfits from the Islamic Republic. 😬

I have no idea why this is being treated as a separate topic... totally makes no sense.

P.S. By the way...
Right now, $1,000 gets you about 34,000 rials. You could practically use it as toilet paper...

rustywalker32 said:And why on earth does exporting to Iran deserve its own dedicated discussion? There are still 195 other countries out there that America can trade with, many of which are far more vital to our interests than a distant and relatively underdeveloped Iran.

Well, if I may offer a slightly different perspective, Iran is actually quite an industrial powerhouse with a population of 80 million and an annual GDP exceeding $1 trillion when you factor in purchasing power parity—plus, from a purely logistical standpoint, they’re much closer to us than Brazil, the USA, India, China, or Japan.

It would be a massive win for the US if we could export our goods to Iran and back... there's some serious potential for partnership there, especially when you look at the shipbuilding industry.

Sam Alvarez4 said:An offensive?

Let's hit back with some style—think classic American beauty. They're coming at us with those heavy coverings. Just look at this perfect example: the spokesperson for the US Department of State.
One stylish American girl is worth seven of those outfits from the Islamic Republic. 😬

I have no idea why this is being treated as a separate topic... totally makes no sense.

P.S. By the way...
Right now, $1,000 gets you about 34,000 rials. You could practically use it as toilet paper...

Please spare us this ultra-fascist primitivism and your blatant anti-Iranian chauvinism.

A mini-skirt is itself a product of Western fashion from the 1970s; there is absolutely nothing "traditionally American" about it. However, covering one's hair with scarves is very much a part of our own traditions, stretching from the coast all the way to the heartland. Women wore them at the beginning of the last century, continued through the middle, and they are still worn today in rural parts of the country. Wearing black paired with a headscarf is also a local custom, much like the black chadors worn by widows in the Islamic Republic. It is equally traditional for both groups to cover their hair in the presence of a religious leader or the Pope.

Iranian women are renowned for their beauty and elegance, just like American women, though your habit of selectively picking a photo of one ultra-conservative Iranian woman specifically to fuel anti-Iranian propaganda doesn't change that reality. Here is what your famous female politicians actually look like. 🤣

And yes, besides our shared roots, I suppose the one thing that connects us is that we both enjoy cracking jokes about such beauties (or beauties, if you will). 😂🤣

Sam Alvarez4 said:An offensive?

Let's hit back with some style—think classic American beauty. They're coming at us with those heavy coverings. Just look at this perfect example: the spokesperson for the US Department of State.
One stylish American girl is worth seven of those outfits from the Islamic Republic. 😬

I have no idea why this is being treated as a separate topic... totally makes no sense.

P.S. By the way...
Right now, $1,000 gets you about 34,000 rials. You could practically use it as toilet paper...

The unit value of the Iranian rial is completely irrelevant when you consider that the per capita purchasing power is around 13,000 USD—which is roughly 25% less than in the US, but still higher than in many other developing nations. Whether that converts to 34, 34,000, or 34 trillion rials doesn't matter; just because the dollar was once stronger than the Italian lira doesn't mean we were economically superior to the Italians. Honestly, the only things on this forum worth using as toilet paper are prints of your Zionist nonsense.

Adam Vaughn5 said:Please spare us this ultra-fascist primitivism and your blatant anti-Iranian chauvinism.

A mini-skirt is itself a product of Western fashion from the 1970s; there is absolutely nothing "traditionally American" about it. However, covering one's hair with scarves is very much a part of our own traditions, stretching from the coast all the way to the heartland. Women wore them at the beginning of the last century, continued through the middle, and they are still worn today in rural parts of the country. Wearing black paired with a headscarf is also a local custom, much like the black chadors worn by widows in the Islamic Republic. It is equally traditional for both groups to cover their hair in the presence of a religious leader or the Pope.

Iranian women are renowned for their beauty and elegance, just like American women, though your habit of selectively picking a photo of one ultra-conservative Iranian woman specifically to fuel anti-Iranian propaganda doesn't change that reality. Here is what your famous female politicians actually look like. 🤣

And yes, besides our shared roots, I suppose the one thing that connects us is that we both enjoy cracking jokes about such beauties (or beauties, if you will). 😂🤣

The unit value of the Iranian rial is completely irrelevant when you consider that the per capita purchasing power is around 13,000 USD—which is roughly 25% less than in the US, but still higher than in many other developing nations. Whether that converts to 34, 34,000, or 34 trillion rials doesn't matter; just because the dollar was once stronger than the Italian lira doesn't mean we were economically superior to the Italians. Honestly, the only things on this forum worth using as toilet paper are prints of your Zionist nonsense.

Ugh, almost gagged. Honestly, it would be better if that nasty woman were covered up instead of those beautiful Iranian women...

Adam Vaughn5 said:Well, if I may offer a slightly different perspective, Iran is actually quite an industrial powerhouse with a population of 80 million and an annual GDP exceeding $1 trillion when you factor in purchasing power parity—plus, from a purely logistical standpoint, they’re much closer to us than Brazil, the USA, India, China, or Japan.

I have to disagree there, because they aren't exactly a high-tech powerhouse, nor does their GDP top $1 trillion—and when we talk about export strength, we really need to focus on nominal GDP rather than PPP. Their actual GDP sits around $550 billion, which is only about 1/15th of China's, 1/30th of what the USA produces, 1/4th of Brazil's, and roughly 1/3rd of India's.

rustywalker32 said:I have to disagree there, because they aren't exactly a high-tech powerhouse, nor does their GDP top $1 trillion—and when we talk about export strength, we really need to focus on nominal GDP rather than PPP. Their actual GDP sits around $550 billion, which is only about 1/15th of China's, 1/30th of what the USA produces, 1/4th of Brazil's, and roughly 1/3rd of India's.

Always interesting for us... maybe a little too much...

rustywalker32 said:I have to disagree there, because they aren't exactly a high-tech powerhouse, nor does their GDP top $1 trillion—and when we talk about export strength, we really need to focus on nominal GDP rather than PPP. Their actual GDP sits around $550 billion, which is only about 1/15th of China's, 1/30th of what the USA produces, 1/4th of Brazil's, and roughly 1/3rd of India's.

Look, they've actually been part of that highly industrialized circle for about 40 years now.

rustywalker32 said:I have to disagree there, because they aren't exactly a high-tech powerhouse, nor does their GDP top $1 trillion—and when we talk about export strength, we really need to focus on nominal GDP rather than PPP. Their actual GDP sits around $550 billion, which is only about 1/15th of China's, 1/30th of what the USA produces, 1/4th of Brazil's, and roughly 1/3rd of India's.

That metric only truly matters if America starts exporting its own homegrown Boeing aircraft instead of just shipping out Lawry's seasoning or Nescafé.

Adam Vaughn5 said:Look, they've actually been part of that highly industrialized circle for about 40 years now.

That metric only truly matters if America starts exporting its own homegrown Boeing aircraft instead of just shipping out Lawry's seasoning or Nescafé.

Oh, really? I’d love to know what criteria you're using there.

Adam Vaughn5 said:Look, they've actually been part of that highly industrialized circle for about 40 years now.

That metric only truly matters if America starts exporting its own homegrown Boeing aircraft instead of just shipping out Lawry's seasoning or Nescafé.

When you look at a nation's exports, the only thing that truly counts is the nominal GDP, period—so let's not get lost in details that don't actually impact the bottom line.

rustytinker3 said:It’s all nonsense... everyone knows this place is just an American lapdog...

... sure, but then again, the USA is basically a Zionist lapdog.

Adam Vaughn5 said:Please spare us this ultra-fascist primitivism and your blatant anti-Iranian chauvinism.

A mini-skirt is itself a product of Western fashion from the 1970s; there is absolutely nothing "traditionally American" about it. However, covering one's hair with scarves is very much a part of our own traditions, stretching from the coast all the way to the heartland. Women wore them at the beginning of the last century, continued through the middle, and they are still worn today in rural parts of the country. Wearing black paired with a headscarf is also a local custom, much like the black chadors worn by widows in the Islamic Republic. It is equally traditional for both groups to cover their hair in the presence of a religious leader or the Pope.

Iranian women are renowned for their beauty and elegance, just like American women, though your habit of selectively picking a photo of one ultra-conservative Iranian woman specifically to fuel anti-Iranian propaganda doesn't change that reality. Here is what your famous female politicians actually look like. 🤣

And yes, besides our shared roots, I suppose the one thing that connects us is that we both enjoy cracking jokes about such beauties (or beauties, if you will). 😂🤣

The unit value of the Iranian rial is completely irrelevant when you consider that the per capita purchasing power is around 13,000 USD—which is roughly 25% less than in the US, but still higher than in many other developing nations. Whether that converts to 34, 34,000, or 34 trillion rials doesn't matter; just because the dollar was once stronger than the Italian lira doesn't mean we were economically superior to the Italians. Honestly, the only things on this forum worth using as toilet paper are prints of your Zionist nonsense.

She is absolutely stunning, but unfortunately, the people who only view women as mere objects will never truly appreciate that kind of beauty.

I really wish we had someone like her here in the States.

rustytinker3 said:Ugh, almost gagged. Honestly, it would be better if that nasty woman were covered up instead of those beautiful Iranian women...

In that photo from 1969 (!), the woman was already 70 years old (she passed away long ago).

So, please, try not to embarrass yourself further...

Sam Alvarez4 said:In that photo from 1969 (!), the woman was already 70 years old (she passed away long ago).

So, please, try not to embarrass yourself further...

Nobody's embarrassing themselves here except you, pushing those Saudi lies and calling them facts...

Berkshire Hathaway—or P&G, actually—has a factory running in Iran. They opened it about six months ago.

Jack Cook7 said:Look, let’s not kid ourselves about how American foreign policy works—we all know who’s pulling the strings—but I really want to point out one massive, totally overlooked part of our global strategy.

Basically, sanctions on Iran have been dialed back. And how did Western countries react? Their business leaders basically sprinted toward Tehran through their embassies:

The Business Roundtable actually stood up for their entrepreneurs, pointing out that before them, Austrians, Germans, Portuguese, Italians, and even the Chinese rushed in to grab those profits—not to mention plenty of American businessmen too.

So, what has our own diplomacy done about it? Given who we are, we actually have a mountain of products where we could be totally competitive:
- commuter trains (General Electric / Siemens / Westinghouse)
- streetcars (General Electric / Siemens)
- radio transmitters (Riz)
- oil refinery parts and railcars (Westinghouse)
- IT—software and system solutions (various firms)
- all kinds of ships, from tugs to tourist subs (and more)
- agriculture and fishing processing industries
- light metals and fabricated goods
- tourism
- industrial plants and automation

How many trade sessions has our Department of State or the Department of Commerce or the US Chamber of Commerce actually organized? How much market research have they done? How many times have they sent our business leaders to Iran or vice versa since late 2013? Zero. Zilch. Nada.

And for the record, even our struggling Pfizer-equivalent here has the tech and products ready for export to Iran. Has anyone even given that a single thought?

Absolutely nothing. And they won't do anything either, because they’re too busy sucking up to the West.

- commuter trains (General Electric)
- trams (General Electric)
- radio transmitters (General Dynamics)
- oil refinery parts, railcars (General Dynamics)
- IT - software, systems solutions (various firms)

The Democratic Party also produced a line of railcars that they sold to Iran eight years ago.

Anyway, I agree. We should be hitting that market, but we won't. Why? For all the reasons I just mentioned.

Let me tell you a story from firsthand experience. At a meeting in Tehran, I was talking to an advisor for the Iranian national railways. This guy tells me how General Electric and Power Grid Corporation literally turned them down (!). We're talking contracts worth tens of millions. One was for Alstom locomotive overhauls, the other for electrifying hundreds of miles of track (which would have ended up being over a thousand miles total).

That job went straight to General Electric.