The MoU outlines seven areas of cooperation,
including tire and component design, production management, raw materials,
standardization, maintenance, logistics as well as HSE.
The agreement was signed on the second day of
IranPlast trade show, held Sept. 24-27 in Tehran, by Barez CEO Parviz Akhavan
and the head of UCAPLAST (Union des Syndicats des PME du Caoutchouc et de la
Plasturgie), Dennis Vaillant, in Tehran on Sept. 25.
The MoU is marked as a significant progress
for Barez amid severe U.S. sanctions, said Mr. Akhavan during the signing
ceremony.
"The French trade
union is a leading European union in this industry and works with giants such
as Michelin and Continental," Mr. Akhavan said.
According to him, Barez has achieved the
European "E-mark" standard for its tires, which it supplies as OE
fitment on Peugeot models 2008 and 301 in Iran.
The standard certificate, the CEO said,
played a key role in signing the MoU.
Barez is the largest Iranian tire maker with
two plants, in the western province of Kurdistan and Kerman, central Iran. The
company produces 5 million passenger car tires and 200,000 truck/bus tires
annually at the two plants.
UCAPLAST is an independent employers'
organization representing small and medium-size French enterprises in the
rubber and plastics industries.
Last year, during the IranPlast show, the
organization signed an MoU with the Iran Polymer & Petrochemical Institute
(IPPI) to produce automotive rubber parts in Iran. The MoU envisaged the
formation of a JV between IPPI and French car maker Citroen for production of
automotive parts.