UANI Calls on Transammonia to End Its Business in Iran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2010
Contact: Kimmie Lipscomb, [email protected]
Phone: (212) 554-3296

UANI Calls on Transammonia to End Its Business in Iran

New York, NY - United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) on Friday called on American chemicals giant Transammonia, Inc. (Transammonia) to end its business in Iran.  Transammonia is listed on UANI's Iran Business Registry (IBR).  On Tuesday, CNBC interviewed UANI President, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, regarding Transammonia's business in Iran.   The clip can be viewed here. 

Transammonia, via a foreign subsidiary, conducts business with the Iran Petrochemical Commercial Company (IPCC), a subsidiary of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC), which is wholly-owned by the Iranian government.  The U.S. Treasury Department has added NPC and IPCC to the Iranian Transactions Regulations which prohibit transactions between U.S. entities and the Government of Iran. 

In a letter to Ronald P. Stanton, the CEO of Transammonia, UANI President, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, wrote:

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) calls on Transammonia to cease all business dealings in Iran.  This includes not only Transammonia's subsidiaries here in the United States, but overseas as well.  Transammonia is currently using foreign subsidiaries, in this case Transammonia AG in Switzerland, to circumvent U.S. law. 

More broadly, Transammonia has had business dealings with the Iran Petrochemical Commercial Company (IPCC), which is the subsidiary and international trading arm of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC).  As recently as February of this year, Transammonia purchased over 23,000 tons of ammonia from IPCC.  (Chemical News & Intelligence, February 24, 2010) 

NPC and IPCC are of particular concern because NPC is wholly-owned by the Iranian government so its profits directly facilitate Iran's ability to pursue nuclear weapons and advance its weapons of mass destruction programs.  Given the nature of NPC and IPCC as well as their business dealings in ammonia, UANI also has concerns about these companies' ability to contribute to the production of roadside bombs. These bombs are now the primary killer of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, leading President Obama to launch a worldwide effort to stop the flow of ammonium nitrate into the country (The New York Times, "U.S. Tries to End Flow of Bomb Item to Afghanistan," November 15, 2010).

In light of above mentioned concerns, on June 16, 2010, the U.S. Treasury Department added NPC and its subsidiary IPCC to the Iranian Transactions Regulations (ITR), which "prohibit transactions between U.S. persons and the Government of Iran." (U.S. Department of Treasury, "Fact Sheet: U.S. Treasury Department Targets Iran's Nuclear and Missile Programs," June 16, 2010).  Other governments, including the United Kingdom and Japan have also identified NPC as being an entity of proliferation concern. 

UANI calls upon Transammonia to end its business dealings in Iran and stop hiding behind foreign subsidiaries to circumvent not only the law, but the clear intent of the American people.  While many responsible corporations are pulling out of Iran, it is especially important for Transammonia to do so because the business dealings that the company and its subsidiaries have had with NPC and IPCC line the pockets of the mullahs in Tehran, thereby enabling them to pursue policies which threaten the broader region and the United States.

In light of the above concerns, please let us hear from you by December 20, 2010 as to your intentions regarding your business dealings in Iran.

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