OTTAWA, May 29 (Reuters) – Canada will freeze all remaining
trade with Iran to protest the Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and
its human rights record, Foreign Minister John Baird said on
Wednesday.
Canada, which has had increasingly poor relations with Iran
for more than a decade, had already imposed a series of trade
sanctions. In 2012, bilateral trade was worth around C$135
million ($130 million).
Baird said Canada was particularly concerned by the failure
of the United Nations’ nuclear agency this month to persuade
Iran to let it resume an investigation into suspected atomic
bomb research.
“The absence of progress … leads Canada to ban effectively
immediately all imports and exports from Iran,” Baird told
reporters.
Last September, Canada suspended diplomatic ties with
Tehran, calling Iran the biggest threat to global security.
“Canada continues to have grave and sincere concerns over
Iran’s nuclear program, and their abhorrent human rights record
and their continued support for international terrorism around
the world,” Baird said.
Statistics Canada data for 2012 shows exports to Iran were
worth around C$95 million, mostly in the form of cereals, oil
seeds and fruit as well as chemical products and some machinery.
Iranian exports totaled C$40 million with fruits, nuts and
textiles dominating.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Sandra Maler)
