Posted on 01/02/2018 1:06:03 PM PST by GoldenState_Rose
Mostafa Kishavarzi looks over the 10,000 watches crammed into his tiny store wedged between dozens of similar retailers in the jewelry section of the Tehran Bazaar.
Every watch in his store — and most of those sold by his competitors — come from one place, and it’s not Iran. It’s China.
Kishavarzi sells everything from knock-off Rolexes to nothing-fancy, off-brand watches. He flies to Shenzhen, China, several times a year to buy the timepieces and makes a tidy profit selling them back in Tehran.
“My watches are perfect for middle- and low-income people,” he said proudly. “Even the batteries are guaranteed for a year.”
Watches are just a tiny part of an explosion in trade between the two countries: China has become Iran’s largest trading partner.
The Chinese government has also extended huge loans to Iran, most recently a $10 billion line of credit for Chinese companies to build infrastructure projects such as dams, power generation facilities and transportation projects. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to block U.S. investment and most trade with Iran. Analysts in Iran say the U.S. pressures European businesses to do the same.
(Excerpt) Read more at pri.org ...
It’s not just Iran ... every where you go you will find these made in China watches.
Interesting about the infrastructure investments. The Chinese could make a tidy profit in Iran.
I’ve read that the GDP of Iran is the same as the state of Alabama.
Not surprised! Hence the protests.
Iran has 80 million people. Alabama has less that 5 million.
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