The government generated 1,445,000 jobs during the first six months of the current Iranian year (started March 20, 2016), according to Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ali Tayyebnia.The…

Members of the Iranian Parliament approved last week a ban on introducing “new” tax exemptions and discounts for the next five years.

The measure was proposed by the government as part of…

The confiscation of contraband medicine and cigarettes registered a fourfold and threefold rise respectively in the eight months to November 20, compared with the corresponding period of last…

The US Treasury Department unveiled new regulations on Dec. 22, which make it easier for pharmaceutical, medical device and agricultural sectors to more easily sell their products in the 80-…

The average goods and services Consumer Price Index for urban areas increased 7.2% in the 12-month period ending December 20, which marks the end of the Iranian month of Azar, compared with last…

Iran exported about 9.7 million tons of non-oil goods worth $4 billion to Iraq during the eight months to November 20, registering a 1.3% increase compared with last year’s corresponding period.…

Pakistan’s Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan said he plans to visit Tehran on December 28-29 to discuss, among other things, a free trade agreement with Iran. “Overall, this upcoming visit…

US consumer spending increased modestly in November as household income failed to rise for the first time in nine months, suggesting the economy slowed in the fourth quarter after growing briskly…

Argentina’s economy shrank in the third quarter, remaining in recession as inflation ate into consumer purchasing power and weak activity in top trading partner Brazil hurt manufacturing,…

Mexico’s annual inflation accelerated faster than expected in early December and reached its highest level in two years, stoked higher partly by a weak peso that has pushed policymakers to raise…

The EU and China have entered uncharted diplomatic waters in the aftermath of the Brexit vote and the US presidential election. They must embrace free and fair trade.

China is the world’s…

Vietnam had a trade surplus of $2.59 billion from the beginning of 2016 until December 15, according to the General Department of Customs, Vietnamnews reported. However, in the first half of this…

Italy’s government approved a state bailout for Monte dei Paschi di Siena on Friday, after the world’s oldest bank failed to secure backing from private investors.

Prime Minister Paolo…

Deutsche Bank will be hoping for a fresh start in 2017 after reaching a $7.2 billion deal with US authorities to settle allegations of the mis-selling of mortgage-backed securities.

The Asian Development Bank said on Thursday it had approved a $500 million loan to help Azerbaijan tackle economic and social problems, mitigating the adverse impact of a decline in oil prices,…

French consumer spending rose faster than expected in November as car sales jumped and households continued to raise spending on energy, statistics showed Friday, MarketWatch reported. Consumer…

A World Trade Organization dispute panel ruled against Indonesia across the board on Thursday in twin cases brought by New Zealand the United States against its import restrictions on food and…

Japan’s cabinet approving a record $830 billion spending budget for fiscal 2017 has underscored the nation’s struggle to curb spending and rein in its massive public debt in the face of a…

The US Justice Department sued Barclays Plc for fraud over its sale of mortgage bonds after the bank balked at paying the amount the government sought in settlement negotiations.

Saudi Arabia has said expenses next year will again exceed revenues by far as the nation tries to lessen its dependence on oil exports. The government said cost-cutting measures would continue…

President Vladimir Putin said Russia’s economy is returning to growth and there are signs that real wages are improving as the country emerges from its longest recession this century.

Consumer confidence in Brazil dropped in December for a second month and hit its lowest since June, a private survey showed on Friday, as hopes of a quicker exit from recession under President…

Oil prices are set to recover next year as OPEC fulfills its agreement to cut output, halting the slump that battered the global oil industry, Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said.

Iraq said most international oil companies working in the country, along with the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, have agreed to cut crude output to fulfill an OPEC accord.

Iraq is fully…

Iran can save up to $20 billion a year by reining in energy consumption, said Yadollah Sabouhi, head of special department for optimizing energy consumption at the vice presidency for science and…