Deutsche Interessen gegen Israel IV
…German politicians and officials over the past year have cited the reduction of overall trade with Iran in 2007 – by some 16 percent in the first half of the year – as proof that Berlin is willing to damage its economic relations with Iran for the sake of Israel’s security.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on her visit to Israel in March that Germany’s trade with Iran has fallen significantly in recent years.
However, German government figures show that after the 2007 decline, trade between the two countries is growing again.
In the first four months of 2008, Germany exported to Iran 1.35 billion euros worth of merchandise, consisting of increased amounts of chemical and iron products, cars, engines and engineering equipment.
Some 1,700 German companies are operating in Iran, including giants such as Siemens and chemical group BASF…
