because their a big trading partner of the US?????
What a joke - business as usual
US swaps ban for Iran's cheques and balances
July 10, 2008
WASHINGTON: US exports to Iran - including bras, bull semen, cosmetics and possibly even weapons - have grown more than tenfold during President George W.Bush's years in office, even as he accused Iran of nuclear ambitions and helping terrorists.
The US sent more cigarettes to Iran, at least $US158 million ($165 million) worth under Mr Bush, than any other product.
Asked about the cigarette exports as he campaigned yesterday, Republican presidential candidate John McCain cracked: "Maybe that's a way of killing them.
"I meant that as a joke," he quickly added, before saying he wanted to learn more about the export situation.
Other surprising shipments to Iran during the Bush administration include fur clothing, sculptures, perfume and musical instruments, according to an analysis by the Associated Press of seven years of US government trade data.
Despite increasingly tough rhetoric towards Iran, which Mr Bush has called part of an "axis of evil", US trade in a range of goods survives on-again, off-again sanctions originally imposed nearly three decades ago. The rules allow sales of agricultural commodities, medicine and a few other categories of goods. The exemptions are designed to help Iranian families even as the US pressures Iran's leaders.
"I understand that these exports have increased," State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said yesterday. "However, we believe that they are increasing to a segment of the population that we want to reach out to, we want to know and understand that the US government, the US people, want to be friends with them, want to work with them to integrate them into the world economy and become partners in the future."
The Government tracks exports to Iran using details from shipping records, but in some cases it is unclear whether anyone pays attention.
Sanctions are intended in part to frustrate Iran's efforts to build its military, but the US Government's own figures showed at least $US148,000 worth of unspecified weapons and other military gear were exported from the US to Iran during Mr Bush's time in office. That included $US106,635 in military rifles and $US8,760 in rifle parts and accessories shipped in 2004.
A government review found the rifles and parts actually went to Iraq; the wrong country was entered on the shipping record, Treasury Department spokesman John Rankin said.
Iran is a hot issue in Washington. Overnight, a House of Representatives hearing was scheduled on US policy towards Iran, and the Bush administration announced yesterday it was freezing the US assets of several people and entities accused of helping Iran develop nuclear weapons.
But the US Government seems unco-ordinated on efforts to limit trade with Iran.
Exports to Iran are a politically loaded but tiny part of US trade. The US counted more than $US1trillion in world exports last year. The value of US shipments last year to Canada - America's top trading partner - was more than 1000 times the value of shipments to Iran.
