Fiat Spa and Fiat Industrial announced yesterday that
they are halting business activities in Iran, the
decision coming after a campaign from a U.S. pressure
group, although the Italian firms says that their sales
were "totally immaterial in the quantitative and
qualitative sense."A
relatively unknown pressure group calling itself the
United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) has run a media
campaign to highlight what it perceives as Fiat's involvement in Iran, and,
as well as holding a small demonstration at January's New York
International Auto Show in Detroit, it also created a
YouTube parody of Fiat's infamous Jennifer Lopez
advertising video. UANI has made a number of unsubstantiated
claims against the end use of Fiat products within Iran.
A statement issued by Fiat Spa
in Turin yesterday, read: "Fiat supports the
international efforts for a diplomatic solution of the
issues relating to the relations with Iran. In this
respect, Fiat announces that effective immediately its
subsidiaries will no longer carry out business activity
related to products or components where the ultimate
destination of such products is known to be Iran, other
than to the limited extent required to fulfill already
existing binding obligations.
"Sales to Iran based entities
during past years by Fiat’s subsidiaries were totally
immaterial in a quantitative and qualitative sense and
any concerned products were sold for commercial and
civilian use only. Fiat’s subsidiaries having commercial
relations with Iranian entities always conducted their
businesses in compliance with all applicable laws and
regulations, including those of the United Nations, the
European Union and Italy." A similar worded statement
was issued simultaneously by Fiat Industrial.
UANI
immediately issued a statement of its own professing
itself to be partially satisfied with the decision. It's
CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace said in the written
statement: "We applaud Fiat's decision to end certain
parts of its business in Iran."
He also added:
"Nonetheless, we call on Fiat to now fully end all of
its business in Iran, including the sale and
manufacturing of all Fiat and Maserati vehicles. Only
last month, it was reported that a Maserati showroom
would soon be opening up in Tehran. Fiat should confirm
that it is not - directly or indirectly - engaged in any
business in Iran, providing any goods or services in
Iran, or implementing any agreements with Iranian
entities including the Pars Industrial Foundation."
Other leading global carmakers are involved in
production in Iran, including Nissan and Peugeot."
