General Motors

"The nuclear deal struck by Iran and six world powers will put more rubber on the road in the Islamic Republic. The country’s major carmakers stand ready to start receiving parts again from French firms PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault when the sanctions ease. That could see Iran’s stalled car production again take off, proving a boon to local automakers and potentially draw in more foreign investment from other manufacturers hoping to break into the market…American carmakers have been absent from Iran since its 1979 Islamic revolution and the U.S. Embassy takeover. U.S. law blocks American carmakers from the Iranian market. That’s not to say there’s no interest in American muscle cars. An Iranian advertising campaign in recent months promised an exhibition of American-made cars but it was never held. Iranian media did, however, report the arrival of some Chevrolet Camaros to the country earlier this year, apparently through third parties." (AP, "Iran nuclear deal hits gas pedal for carmakers," 11/30/13)

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"First American cars which have been imported by El Khodro Aras Company arrived in Tehran's Imam Khomaini International Airport, Mehr news agency reported. Imported cars (Convertible 2LT RS Package 2013 Camaro which is manufactured by General Motors) were transported from State of Miami to Paris and then to Tehran by Qatar Airways, the report said. Iran's Aras Free Trade - Industrial Zone (AFZ) is shown as the final destination of cargos in the documents submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), because CBP does not allow new car exports in order to protect regional products (South Korea's GM)." (Azer News, "Iran Imports American Cars," 7/22/2013)

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“Lobby groups in the US, such as United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), have previously targeted PSA as well as its partner, General Motors, by highlighting what it referred to as the 'taxpayer-funded US $50 bn bailout of GM’… ‘Once again, we see evidence GM's partner, Peugeot, continues to do business in Iran,’ said UANI CEO, Mark Wallace, in April this year, although PSA insists it has stopped shipping parts.” (Just-Auto, “Sources Claim Continued IKCO Puegeot Production Despite PSA Parts Stop,” 6/20/13)

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"A French car manufacturer that is partially owned by the taxpayer-funded General Motors Company (GM) claims to have ceased its longtime business dealings with Iran, though experts have cast doubts on this claim. GM owns a seven percent stake in PSA Peugeot Citroën, which has faced intense scrutiny for its business relationship with Iran... Although Peugeot and GM maintain the manufacturer 'suspended' shipments to Iran in March, sanctions experts argue that the relationship has continued to flourish behind the scenes... Peugeot’s alliance with Iran is of particular concern to UANI and other observers due to GM’s stake in the corporation. 'In this holiday season, as charities compete for Americans’ generosity, Americans should know that thanks to GM’s partnership with Peugeot, a company funded with their tax money has effectively made its own charitable contribution to enrich a genocidal regime,' said Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon adviser on Iran and Iraq. As one of Tehran’s top trading partners, the GM-backed Peugeot is responsible for injecting billions into the Iranian economy, thereby frustrating Western efforts to sanction Iran for its nuclear enrichment program. 'The hundreds of millions of dollars that Citroen generates for the Iranian economy through taxes, fees etc., flows through the IRGC, the entity that runs the financial arm of Iran’s nuclear and terror programs,' said Mark Langerman, a financial adviser who is managing director at the Patriot Fund, an investment firm that shuns companies tied to Iran. 'We bailed GM out to the tune $50 billion and the U.S. Treasury Department owns over 25 percent of GM stock, which means by extension that we—you and me—own stock in a company that is partnered with one on the biggest contributors to Iran’s economy,' Langerman said. A GM spokesperson did not respond to a Washington Free Beacon request for comment... GM originally struck a deal to purchase seven percent of Peugeot in February, when the company was still dealing with Iran despite U.S. economic sanctions banning this type of activity. GM spent $400 million for its stake in Peugeot, according to reports." (The Washington Free Beacon, "Making Mullah Mobiles," 12/17/2012)

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"ONA is a leading manufacturer of electrical discharge machining equipment, a kind of industrial tool used to make production parts for the electronic, aerospace and auto industries. The company lists the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Air France and General Motors among its customers." (The Wall Street Journal, "Spain Raids Company Over Suspected Iran Export," 11/26/2012) 

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"PSA Peugeot Citroen SA and hundreds of smaller firms are feeling the sting of sanctions against Tehran as the French government withholds 220 million euros set aside by an Iranian bank for future payments for exports, due to a fear of harming Peugeot's alliance with U.S. auto-maker General Motors Co. . . . The French Treasury has refused to release any of the money previously set aside in a Bank Tejarat account in Paris to guarantee payments for exports. The deliveries had been committed before the European Union introduced sanctions on the Iranian commercial bank on Jan. 23, people familiar with the matter said this week. Although the EU had allowed a two-month period for completing ongoing transactions with Bank Tejarat, the companies are still waiting for the French Treasury to permit the funds' release. 

This is because the French government first wants to ensure that allowing the release of some of that money to Peugeot, for spare parts orders from Iran Khodro Co., won't jeopardize the French auto maker's alliance with General Motors, one person said. Iran Khodro Co. assembles automobiles from kits provided by the French company. 

General Motors became the second-largest shareholder in Peugeot in March, buying 7% for EUR240 million. The GM alliance with Peugeot--Europe's second-largest car maker after Germany's Volkswagen AG --also covers the joint development of new parts and platforms on which their brands will base new models. That is seen as a key advantage in attempts to revive the fortunes of the French car maker, which is struggling amid a downturn in the European automotive industry' . . .

Any release of letters of credit to Peugeot could complicate matters for the General Motors tie-up, because Tejarat is under sanctions in both Europe and the U.S., a person familiar with the matter said. This leaves the future of the French auto maker's business with Iran in limbo. Both Peugeot and General Motors declined to comment on the Tejarat funds. A spokesman for General Motors did say that Peugeot had made the decision to suspend the shipments of spare parts to Iran prior to entering the alliance. 'GM's agreement with Peugeot is fully compliant with US law governing trade with Iran, and is not intended to benefit Iran in any way,' the spokesman for the U.S. automaker said.

Peugeot's Iran business is particularly sensitive because the U.S. Treasury holds a stake in GM. GM said in February that the Treasury held a 31.9% stake. That could make the very institution that enforces sanctions in Washington an indirect beneficiary of Iranian business if Peugeot received payment from the Middle-Eastern nation. Yet while confirming Peugeot had suspended deliveries to Tehran for the time being, a Peugeot spokeswoman said the company has not permanently pulled out of Iran." (Dow Jones, "France Withholds Funds From Peugeot Over Iran Sanctions Fears -Sources," 8/21/12)

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"Deeply conflicting views as to whether or not PSA Peugeot Citroen has halted shipments of vital components to Iranian partner, IKCO, are being set against a widening clamour in the US for General Motors to put pressure on its new French partner to end the relationship with Tehran. Iran Khodro insisted to just-auto this afternoon (19 June) shipments of parts were continuing into ports in the country, with the French automaker previously saying it had suspended delivery of components for the 206 and 405 models until July to comply with European Union and US sanctions. Into the fray has also stepped powerful American lobby, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which has been applying intense pressure on GM and Peugeot with the US manufacturer now holding 7% of its French partner. Writing two weeks ago in the US, UANI CEO, Mark Wallace, a former US ambassador to the United Nations noted: 'We again call on GM and Peugeot to take the responsible action of evaluating Peugeot's business in Iran and putting a complete and final end to it.' However, in calls made by just-auto to Tehran today, IKCO insisted ships were docking in Iran, as shown by the production lines continuing to run.'The evidence shows shipments is continued," reliable sources in IKCO told just-auto. 'There is not any problem in shipments of Peugeot product parts - shipments of Peugeot are continuing here.' However, PSA remains adamant it has stopped supplying ICKO in accordance with the strict sanctions regime, adopting a robust position concerning Paris' position with Tehran, although it left open the possibility business could restart in September . . . UANI has also raised the financial temperature by highlighting what Wallace refers to as the "taxpayer-funded US$50bn bailout of GM" in order to attempt to put further pressure on its French partner and noting it was "completely unacceptable" for Detroit to be aligned financially with Peugeot's activities in Iran." (Just-Auto, "IRAN: IKCO and Peugeot at loggerheads on Tehran shipments," 6/19/12)

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"ISACO Chief Executive Officer Behzad Zahiri...said that IKCO has not yet received any official announcement from Peugeot indicating a halt in their mutual cooperation...Currently 10 to 15 percent of spare parts required for IKCO cars are supplied by Peugeot. In case Peugeot stops spare part supply, the required parts could be easily replaced by domestic suppliers or suppliers from other countries. Last year, 37 percent of the needed...The French auto-manufacturing group PSA Peugeot Citroen has suspended operations at one of its factories in northeastern France because of a halt to shipments of spare parts from Iran. PSA Peugeot Citroen reportedly stopped its trade with Iran on February 20 after the enforcement of US-led sanctions against the Islamic Republic for its nuclear energy program. Iran was PSA Peugeot Citroen’s second-biggest market in 2011 in terms of trade volume" (PressTV, "ISACO ready to supply spare parts if Peugeot imposes sanctions," 4/19/12)

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"The Fars branch CEO Mohammad Javad Habibi said the company produces one car per hour and it is expected to exceed five units this year. The unit has produced 250 Peugeot Pars sedans since the beginning of the mass production. Roughly 100 employees are working in the company, while the increase of production would create 150 job opportunities in every working position.  The company is IKCO's fifth local production site, the total investment for which rose to almost 60,000,000 dollars.  Production capacity of IKCO in Fars exceeds 30 thousand cars in a year. All types of Peugeot 405 sedans are currently mass produced in the company."  (Payvand, "Iran Khodro's Fars branch to produce 15,000 Peugeot Pars," 4/15/12)

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"In March, General Motors said its French partner, PSA Peugeot Citroën, suspended shipments of vehicle components to an Iranian carmaker, in compliance with US laws governing trade with Iran." (Financial Times, "Iranian Car Industry Weathers Stormy Year," 5/8/2012)
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"An influential US anti-Iran lobby group on Wednesday called for newly tied General Motors and Peugeot to shut down Peugeot's Iran business due to Tehran's suspect nuclear program.  The United Against Nuclear Iran group said GM's new investment in PSA Peugeot Citroen should be investigated to see if it violates US sanctions on Iran, because of Peugeot's strong market position in the country. "As a working partner and now official stake-owner of Peugeot, GM owes it to its investors and customers to compel Peugeot into ending its business in Iran," said UANI head Mark Wallace, a former US ambassador to the United Nations.  "By doing business directly with the Iranian regime, Peugeot supports the regime's ability to develop its illegal nuclear weapons program, support terrorist proxies and repress the Iranian people." (AFP, "Anti-Iran lobby hits GM-Peugeot deal," 3/29/12)

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"General Motors Co. said Wednesday that its French partner, PSA Peugeot Citroen SA, has suspended shipments of vehicle components to an Iranian car maker, and that its alliance with Peugeot "is fully compliant with U.S. law governing trade with Iran." GM has faced criticism from United Against Nuclear Iran, a group founded by a former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., and others opposed to the Iranian regime for agreeing to buy a 7% stake in the French car maker, because Peugeot has in the past supplied parts to Iranian car maker Iran Khodro.  GM, in a statement, said "we have discussed this issue with Peugeot. We understand that they made the decision to suspend the production and shipment of material into Iran some time ago--before we entered into our alliance with them in fact--and have decided to continue with that suspension. Our agreement with them is fully compliant with US law governing trade with Iran, and is not intended to benefit Iran in any way." (Wall Street Journal, "GM Says Peugeot has 'Suspended' Shipments to Iranian Car Maker, " 3/28/12)