At a meeting in Tehran, Mahmoud Najafi Arab, President of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, stressed the readiness of Iran’s private sector to deepen engagement with Kazakh businesses. Representing some 47,000 companies, the chamber signalled interest in joint missions, online seminars and expanded business events. For Kazakhstan, whose free zones are designed to attract investment and trade flows, Tehran represents both a vast consumer market and a gateway to West Asia. By including Khorgos,  a critical Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) hub, the project directly ties Iran’s economy into a wider Eurasian trade corridor.

Free Zones as Catalysts for Cooperation

The commodity exchange proposal highlights several important BRICS+ trends. First, it underscores the growing role of free economic zones as catalysts for South–South trade. By offering tax incentives, streamlined customs and special regulatory frameworks, such zones act as laboratories for cooperation. Yerbol Bukharbayev, head of the World Free Zones Organisation’s Central Asia office, announced that Kazakhstan will showcase its economic zones in Tehran in 2026, signalling a long-term vision for Iran’s inclusion in Eurasian trade networks despite sanctions pressure.

Second, the initiative reflects the commodities dimension of BRICS+ cooperation. Iran has proposed using the hub to expand grain trade with Kazakhstan, while also channelling more of its saffron exports directly into China. At present, much of Iranian saffron reaches Chinese markets through intermediaries, reducing value capture for Iranian producers. By establishing a direct corridor, Tehran could significantly boost its agricultural exports, while Kazakhstan secures food trade opportunities that complement its own role as a grain powerhouse.

Customs Corridors and Sanctions Resilience

The discussion also touched on customs cooperation. Ali Akbar Shamani, Deputy Head of Iran’s Customs Administration, suggested creating a “green corridor” with Kazakhstan. Such a framework would streamline customs procedures, lower transaction costs and accelerate the movement of goods, drawing on Iran’s existing experience with Russia. These mechanisms reflect a BRICS+ ethos: instead of waiting for global reform of institutions such as the WTO, member states are building practical solutions at a regional level.

From a BRICS+ perspective, this initiative is significant for three reasons. First, it supports multipolar infrastructure by linking Central Asia, West Asia and China,  geographies central to BRICS+ expansion. Iran and Kazakhstan are both strategically located transit states, while Khorgos serves as one of the world’s largest dry ports and a vital Belt and Road gateway. Second, it demonstrates resilience under sanctions. Iran, despite continued Western restrictions, is forging partnerships that ensure its integration into global trade through BRICS+ linkages. Third, the focus on agriculture underlines inclusive growth, ensuring that local producers and small-scale farmers benefit alongside large corporations.

Towards a Multipolar Trade Order

Looking ahead, the Tehran–Almaty–Khorgos initiative could evolve into a prototype BRICS+ commodity corridor. If structured effectively, it could accommodate not only grain and saffron but also petrochemicals, metals and manufactured goods. More importantly, it could be priced in national currencies, reinforcing the bloc’s push towards de-dollarisation in trade settlements.

Geopolitically, the proposal illustrates how BRICS+ countries are designing parallel institutions and trading platforms. Just as the New Development Bank has emerged as an alternative to Western-led lenders, commodity hubs like Khorgos and Tehran–Almaty could serve as counterweights to exchanges in London or Chicago.

Ultimately, the initiative is about more than trade flows. It reflects a broader shift in mindset: BRICS+ countries are no longer content to operate at the margins of a system designed elsewhere. They are actively constructing a multipolar infrastructure of trade, finance and logistics, one that responds to their own developmental priorities. If realised, this project will not only increase commerce between Iran, Kazakhstan and China, but also reinforce the broader BRICS+ vision of a global economy where the Global South sets its own terms of engagement.