Investigating the Effective Factors on Iran’s Pistachio Export With emphasis on the role of Trade sanctions

Pistachio is important agricultural export product in Iran which has faced with reduction in export and competitiveness in last decade. During this period, two phenomena like economic sanctions and emergence of export rival like USA has been most important events. Now, the question is whether these factors and their synchronicity have weakened Iranian pistachios export in recent years? For this purpose, Iranian pistachio exports to trading partners analyzed using gravity model in the period 1995-2013. Based on the results, economic size and importer’s income had increasing effect but distance and economic distance had decreasing effect on export. Also, EU trade sanctions and increase in USA export power have significantly negative effect on export. Therefore, synchronicity of increase in USA export power and EU sanctions has led to exit Iran from EU as main target market of export and USA strengthened its position regarding high economic interactions. So, it is suggested that policymakers should try to identify appropriate target market to avoid the effect of decreasing trade sanctions on Iran's exports and competitiveness in global market.