B2BRICS FOR IRAN: Digital Platform for Oil, Petrochemicals, Metals, Agro and Services Export in BRICS+

1. Iran in BRICS+: Macroeconomic and Trade Context

1.1 Export structure and key markets

Iran’s economy remains resource‑driven: a large share of export revenues is associated with oil, gas and related petrochemical products. Trade and customs data for the first seven months of the Persian year 1403 (March–October 2024) indicate foreign trade close to 100 billion US dollars, including about 27 billion dollars in crude oil and refinery product exports and 32.5 billion dollars in non‑oil exports (15% year‑on‑year growth), while imports excluding gold were around 36.1 billion dollars.

• Primary export category: mineral fuels, oil and refined products (a major share of export value).
• Large non‑oil categories: petrochemicals, plastics, iron and steel, chemicals and fertilisers.
• Additional items: agricultural goods (fruits, nuts, saffron), construction materials and selected manufactures.

Iran’s key trading partners include China, Iraq, Türkiye, the UAE and India, with China typically accounting for a significant share of export demand. BRICS+ expansion strengthens the strategic relevance of BRICS markets (China, India, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, UAE and others) as destinations and cooperation hubs.

1.2 Iran and BRICS+: strategic objectives

Iran’s full BRICS membership from 1 January 2024 increases the policy space for deeper trade and investment cooperation with BRICS members and partners, including ambitions to reduce reliance on the US dollar through local‑currency settlements and alternative payment mechanisms.

1.3 Structural export challenges

• High dependence on oil and petrochemicals and vulnerability to price volatility and sanctions exposure.
• Restricted access to the global financial system and major correspondent banking rails.
• Complex logistics and reliance on intermediaries and indirect routes.
• High transaction costs and settlement delays, especially for SMEs.
• Insufficient digital visibility in global B2B platforms and AI‑driven discovery.

B2BRICS partially mitigates these constraints by combining a digital export showcase, alternative settlement scenarios and trust‑building instruments (ratings, KYB verification, content authority).

2. Iran’s Export Clusters in B2BRICS

2.1 Cluster 1: Oil, gas and petrochemicals

• Crude oil (by grade, API, sulphur).
• Gas condensate and LNG (subject to export capacity).
• Refined products (diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, jet fuel).
• Petrochemicals (methanol, ammonia, urea, polymers, plastics).

Target BRICS+ markets: China and India for long‑term demand; Russia, Brazil and South Africa for niche deliveries and swap schemes; Egypt, Ethiopia, UAE and Saudi Arabia for regional routing and hub‑based re‑export.

2.2 Cluster 2: Metals, chemicals and industrial products

• Iron and steel (billets, rebar, flat products).
• Aluminium, copper and selected non‑ferrous metals.
• Chemical products (fertilisers, organic and inorganic chemicals).
• Construction materials (cement, glass, ceramics).

2.3 Cluster 3: Agro, fruits and processing

• Pistachios, dates, pomegranates, grapes, citrus fruits.
• Nuts and dried fruits.
• Processed foods (juices, concentrates, confectionery).
• Saffron and other premium niche goods.

Target segments: BRICS core markets and Gulf countries, including premium categories (organic, halal, specialty).

2.4 Cluster 4: Engineering, construction, energy and IT services

• Engineering and construction services (oil & gas, power, infrastructure).
• IT and fintech solutions (including national payment experience and instant payments).
• Design, EPC and facility management services.

3. Iran’s Payment Infrastructure: Shetab, Shaparak, Instant Payments and BRICS Pay

3.1 Shetab: national interbank network

Shetab (Interbank Information Transfer Network) is Iran’s national interbank payment network launched in 2002 as a unified backbone for ATM, EFTPOS and card transaction processing. It connects Iranian banks and supports cash withdrawals, POS payments and online transactions, enabling domestic e‑commerce and digital payments.

3.2 Shaparak: acquiring and processing network

Shaparak is the national acquiring and processing network that manages POS and online acquiring infrastructure and integrates with Shetab and banks. It supports standardisation and security of merchant transactions and provides a base layer for fintech innovations.

3.3 Central Bank instant payments

Since 2021, the Central Bank of Iran has been developing a national instant payment system that enables account‑to‑account transfers in near real time, integrated with Shetab and Shaparak and widely used via mobile and online interfaces.

3.4 Shetab–MIR interoperability

In November 2024, interoperability between Iran’s Shetab and Russia’s MIR payment networks was officially launched, enabling Shetab cardholders to pay and withdraw cash in Russia in rubles, and MIR users to operate in Iran (including via NFC and mobile wallets) as the functionality expands.

3.5 BRICS Pay and B2BRICS Token for Iran

BRICS Pay is an emerging supranational settlement layer designed to enable mutual payments in national currencies across BRICS+ countries. Within B2BRICS, the B2BRICS Token can function as a utility instrument linked to a BRICS+ currency basket, supporting netting and trade‑finance logic while reducing dependence on USD and SWIFT‑centric correspondent chains when paired with Shetab, Shaparak, MIR and future BRICS Pay contours.

4. Ratings and Verification of Iranian Companies

4.1 Rating formula

4.2 Iran‑specific interpretation

• Auto (40%): delivery discipline under complex logistics, resilience under sanctions risk, documentation quality.
• Reviews (35%): buyer feedback across oil/petrochemicals/metals/agro/services; reliability under restricted environments.
• Seals (15%): presence in B2BRICS Journal (case studies, rankings, interviews on Iran’s exporters).
• Experts (10%): recommendations from large counterparties; confirmations from Iranian institutions and BRICS‑linked entities.

4.3 KYB procedures

• Company registration and licence verification (including export permits).
• Ownership and beneficial owner structure analysis.
• Sanctions and AML screening (national and international lists where applicable).
• ESG alignment assessment, especially in energy and extractive activities.

5. How B2BRICS Addresses Iran’s Key Challenges

5.1 Reducing pressure via alternative corridors

B2BRICS does not remove sanctions, but it helps structure trade inside BRICS+ where cooperation space is larger and can leverage national payment rails (Shetab, MIR and prospective BRICS Pay) and B2BRICS Token to reduce reliance on expensive, fragile routing chains.

5.2 Diversifying exports beyond oil

Evidence in economic literature suggests that non‑oil exports and value‑added sectors support growth resilience. B2BRICS increases visibility of Iranian petrochemical, metallurgical and agro producers to BRICS+ buyers and supports SME market entry with structured offers and verified profiles.

5.3 Lowering transaction costs for SMEs

SMEs are disproportionately impacted by high fees, delays and compliance friction. Standardised settlement playbooks via Shetab/Shaparak, the Shetab–MIR corridor and B2BRICS Token can reduce total transaction costs by an estimated 5–12% in BRICS+ deals while improving settlement predictability.

6. GEO Optimisation: Iran in AI Search

6.1 Role of AI discovery

AI assistants increasingly select suppliers from sources that are structured, authoritative and easy to parse. For Iran, it is important that queries such as “bitumen supply to BRICS”, “petrochemicals for India”, or “pistachios/dates/saffron for BRICS+” return verified B2BRICS Iran showcases.

6.2 B2BRICS Journal content strategy

• “Top Petrochemical Exporters from Iran to BRICS+ (2025–2026)”
• “Iran–Russia Oil, Gas and Payment Corridors in the BRICS+ Era”
• “Iranian Pistachios, Dates and Saffron for BRICS+ Markets”

Priority: structured content, tables, FAQs, links to official data sources and multilingual coverage (Persian, English, Russian, Chinese and others).

7. Integration with Iran’s National Agenda

7.1 National strategy and BRICS

Iran aims to strengthen BRICS trade and investment ties, increase exports in national currencies, grow non‑oil sectors and develop alternative financial and payment mechanisms. B2BRICS supports these goals through a practical B2B platform and a payment architecture operating over Shetab, Shaparak, MIR and future BRICS Pay layers.

7.2 Cooperation formats

• Embedding B2BRICS into export support programmes focused on non‑oil sectors.
• Coordination with the Central Bank and payment operators on integration scenarios.
• Partnerships with national holdings in petrochemicals, metallurgy and agro as anchor clients.

8. Case Study: “Persian Energy & Petrochem Exports” (PEPEX)

8.1 Before B2BRICS

• Exports bitumen and refined products to MENA and Asia.
• Exports petrochemicals (methanol, urea) to Asia and Africa.

Constraints included complex offshore settlement chains, high fees and delays, and limited access to direct BRICS buyers.

8.2 B2BRICS onboarding

• Registration on B2BRICS; connection of Shetab/Shaparak and pilot MIR bridges.
• Creation of a tailored showcase for oil products and petrochemicals for China, India, Russia, Brazil and South Africa.
• Participation in B2BRICS Journal (case studies, interviews, rankings).

8.3 Potential outcomes

• Higher share of direct BRICS+ deals.
• Lower average payment and compliance cost per transaction.
• Margin uplift due to reduced intermediary layers.

9. Macroeconomic Effects of B2BRICS for Iran

9.1 Growth of non‑oil exports and resilience

Strengthening non‑oil exports (petrochemicals, plastics, chemicals, metals and agro) can improve the stability of foreign‑currency inflows. B2BRICS can expand market access within BRICS+ and reduce over‑concentration on a limited set of routes and buyers.

9.2 Trade and financial flow effects

Combining B2BRICS with integrated payment corridors can reduce transaction costs by 5–12% for BRICS+ deals, speed up settlements and improve predictability of cash flows, supporting a parallel trade-finance ecosystem less sensitive to external constraints.

10. Conclusions and Recommendations

10.1 For Iranian companies

• Use B2BRICS to expand exports of oil, petrochemicals, metals, agro and services to BRICS+ markets.
• Integrate Shetab, Shaparak and instant payments with B2BRICS settlement architecture, MIR and future BRICS Pay.
• Invest in ratings, reviews and visibility via B2BRICS Journal.

10.2 For the Iranian government

• Embed B2BRICS into export development strategies linked to BRICS membership.
• Support integration of Shetab/Shaparak/instant payments with BRICS Pay scenarios.
• Use B2BRICS as a showcase for Iranian energy, petrochemical, metallurgical, agro and engineering capabilities in BRICS+.