France’s association for rubber and polymers Syndicat National du Caoutchouc et des Polymères or SNCP in short has issued a statement to say it is “in no way associated with this cooperation agreement” signed between French rubber & plastics industry association UCAPLAST (Union des Syndicats des PME du Caoutchouc et de la Plasturgie) and Iranian tyre maker Barez Industrial Group recently.
SNCP also added that it is wary of the “sensitive political context” of the deal and the association, which “federates tyre manufacturers and rubber processors in France” had distanced itself from the MOU.
SNCP adds that it represents 91% of the rubber manufacturers in France and has a membership of more than 100.
Iran and France to cooperate on tyre manufacturing
While Iran is facing a trade backlash from the US, French rubber & plastics industry association UCAPLAST (Union des Syndicats des PME du Caoutchouc et de la Plasturgie) and Iranian tyre maker Barez Industrial Group have inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to advance technological and educational cooperation in tyre manufacturing.
According to the IRNA news agency, the MOU was signed by the Head of the French association, Dennis Vayan, and Managing Director of Barez Industrial Group, Parviz Akhavan, during the recently concluded 12th IranPlast 2018 exhibition in Tehran.
Under the deal, France is to provide Iran with knowledge on seven cooperation areas including tyre & component design, production management, raw materials, maintenance, logistics management and health and safety concerns in a tyre factory.
According to Barez, the signing of the MOU came against the backdrop of it obtaining the CE certification from European automotive maker Peugeot. Having obtained the CE certification, Barez is now a major tyre maker for the French automotive maker.