Iran’s Durum Wheat Exports to Italy: Untapped Trade Opportunity

Despite fluctuations over the past decade, Italy remains one of Iran’s most important European trading partners. The peak trade volume occurred before the intensification of sanctions (2010-2014), reaching $7 billion, but after the reimposition of sanctions in 2018 and the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, annual trade volumes dropped to around $1.2 to $1.5 billion and have remained below $2 billion since.

Iran’s main grain export to Italy is durum wheat, widely used in Italian pasta production. In recent years, approximately 29,000 to 31,000 tons of durum wheat have been exported annually, sometimes reaching up to 300,000 tons. Khuzestan province is one of the main hubs for wheat exports to Italy.