The Effects of Trade in the Eurasian Customs Union on the Process of Trade Liberalization in Iran

Iran's failure to fully join the World Trade Organization and the experience of relative failure in the ECO and D۸ trade organizations have led this country, for industrialization and experiencing a gradual liberalization of its tariffs and removing the non-tariff barriers to joining the WTO, to show much enthusiasm for joining the Eurasian Customs Union. With the acceptance of Iran's membership by this union in ۲۰۱۸, the level of free tariffs will gradually be applied to certain goods, with labor, transportation, energy and agricultural products being given priority in trade. The question of this research is what effects the membership in the Eurasian Customs Union (ECO) may have on Iran's trade liberalization? We further want to know whether Iran by joining this union is practicing the eventual membership in the World Trade Organization. Researchers say that although the Eurasian Union is not an organization with purely commercial and economic objectives, and that Russia is trying to form political alignment with its allies in Central Asia and the Caucasus, Iran can by engaging in the commercial fields of the union boost its export potential and upgrade its tariff standards according to the WTO criteria.

Keywords:

Eurasian Customs Union (EACU) , Trade , Trade Liberalization , Iran