Jesse Warren

AS a city with thriving international trade, Shenzhen has many stories of success. One of these belongs to Ramin Razavifar from Iran.

“When I came to China, I wanted to start my own business,” he said. Now he is the proud owner of Sino-Persia Impex, a trading company that does business with clients around the world.

Razavifar first came to China in 2002 thanks to his wife, who found a teaching job at a university in Hebei Province.

Soon after arriving, Razavifar began receiving requests from Iranian friends and companies to source products for them. So, he found a Chinese partner and started to climb the ladder of business in China.

A trip to Shenzhen and Guangzhou in 2003 made him decide to move south. Proximity to factories, wholesalers, and suppliers made the relocation a no-brainer. So Razavifar, along with his wife and partner, moved to Shenzhen in 2005.

He and his partner founded Sino-Persia Impex immediately. They do virtually everything involved in international trade: sourcing, inspection, quality control, shipping, customs, and more.

The majority of Razavifar’s business (80 percent) is done with his home country of Iran. But he also trades with Dubai, France, Canada, India, Tanzania, Egypt, and Turkey, among others. He exports a variety of products, including computer parts, cell phones, furniture, clothes, shoes, and more. Interestingly, Razavifar said that at least 60 percent of the computer parts in Iran are from the SEG Electronics Market in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen’s Futian District.

He also imports Iranian products, including stone, marble, pistachio nuts, and even chicken feet, as Iranians don’t eat that part of the chicken. For each transaction, Sino-Persia takes a commission, which depending on the work involved, can be anywhere from 2-20 percent of the total value.

As most foreigners doing business in China can attest, it is not very easy. “Even if they (Chinese suppliers) don’t understand what you are talking about, they still say yes, resulting in a faulty final product” claims Razavifar, who attributes this problem to communication and cultural differences. Despite this frequent glitch, Razavifar finds most suppliers to be “kind and supportive, and will stay with you until the last step.”

The political situation in Iran has also created several business challenges. On several occasions, Chinese banks have refused to cash checks issued by Iranian banks. Clients have also had their doubts about the reliability of shipping in the region. To this, Razavifar confidently states, “Business is quite risky now, but we always find a way to solve these problems. People need to do business.”

Razavifar appears to be quite happy with the job. “Everyday I learn something, and I feel there is something new in my life.” A constant stream of requests for new products keeps him busy researching, traveling, and meeting new people. Through the years, his company has grown tenfold in sales since the time of its inception. Aiming high, this year’s goal is to reach US$10 million in sales.

Shenzhen is becoming Razavifar’s home away from home. Although business opportunities exist in other countries, he says, “I prefer to stay here, I feel more comfortable here, and I want to have my children here.” With a newly bought house and a successful business, Razavifar seems to be in Shenzhen for the long haul.

Jesse Warren

AS a city with thriving international trade, Shenzhen has many stories of success. One of these belongs to Ramin Razavifar from Iran.

“When I came to China, I wanted to start my own business,” he said. Now he is the proud owner of Sino-Persia Impex, a trading company that does business with clients around the world.

Razavifar first came to China in 2002 thanks to his wife, who found a teaching job at a university in Hebei Province.

Soon after arriving, Razavifar began receiving requests from Iranian friends and companies to source products for them. So, he found a Chinese partner and started to climb the ladder of business in China.

A trip to Shenzhen and Guangzhou in 2003 made him decide to move south. Proximity to factories, wholesalers, and suppliers made the relocation a no-brainer. So Razavifar, along with his wife and partner, moved to Shenzhen in 2005.

He and his partner founded Sino-Persia Impex immediately. They do virtually everything involved in international trade: sourcing, inspection, quality control, shipping, customs, and more.

The majority of Razavifar’s business (80 percent) is done with his home country of Iran. But he also trades with Dubai, France, Canada, India, Tanzania, Egypt, and Turkey, among others. He exports a variety of products, including computer parts, cell phones, furniture, clothes, shoes, and more. Interestingly, Razavifar said that at least 60 percent of the computer parts in Iran are from the SEG Electronics Market in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen’s Futian District.

He also imports Iranian products, including stone, marble, pistachio nuts, and even chicken feet, as Iranians don’t eat that part of the chicken. For each transaction, Sino-Persia takes a commission, which depending on the work involved, can be anywhere from 2-20 percent of the total value.

As most foreigners doing business in China can attest, it is not very easy. “Even if they (Chinese suppliers) don’t understand what you are talking about, they still say yes, resulting in a faulty final product” claims Razavifar, who attributes this problem to communication and cultural differences. Despite this frequent glitch, Razavifar finds most suppliers to be “kind and supportive, and will stay with you until the last step.”

The political situation in Iran has also created several business challenges. On several occasions, Chinese banks have refused to cash checks issued by Iranian banks. Clients have also had their doubts about the reliability of shipping in the region. To this, Razavifar confidently states, “Business is quite risky now, but we always find a way to solve these problems. People need to do business.”

Razavifar appears to be quite happy with the job. “Everyday I learn something, and I feel there is something new in my life.” A constant stream of requests for new products keeps him busy researching, traveling, and meeting new people. Through the years, his company has grown tenfold in sales since the time of its inception. Aiming high, this year’s goal is to reach US$10 million in sales.

Shenzhen is becoming Razavifar’s home away from home. Although business opportunities exist in other countries, he says, “I prefer to stay here, I feel more comfortable here, and I want to have my children here.” With a newly bought house and a successful business, Razavifar seems to be in Shenzhen for the long haul.

Jesse Warren

AS a city with thriving international trade, Shenzhen has many stories of success. One of these belongs to Ramin Razavifar from Iran.

“When I came to China, I wanted to start my own business,” he said. Now he is the proud owner of Sino-Persia Impex, a trading company that does business with clients around the world.

Razavifar first came to China in 2002 thanks to his wife, who found a teaching job at a university in Hebei Province.

Soon after arriving, Razavifar began receiving requests from Iranian friends and companies to source products for them. So, he found a Chinese partner and started to climb the ladder of business in China.

A trip to Shenzhen and Guangzhou in 2003 made him decide to move south. Proximity to factories, wholesalers, and suppliers made the relocation a no-brainer. So Razavifar, along with his wife and partner, moved to Shenzhen in 2005.

He and his partner founded Sino-Persia Impex immediately. They do virtually everything involved in international trade: sourcing, inspection, quality control, shipping, customs, and more.

The majority of Razavifar’s business (80 percent) is done with his home country of Iran. But he also trades with Dubai, France, Canada, India, Tanzania, Egypt, and Turkey, among others. He exports a variety of products, including computer parts, cell phones, furniture, clothes, shoes, and more. Interestingly, Razavifar said that at least 60 percent of the computer parts in Iran are from the SEG Electronics Market in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen’s Futian District.

He also imports Iranian products, including stone, marble, pistachio nuts, and even chicken feet, as Iranians don’t eat that part of the chicken. For each transaction, Sino-Persia takes a commission, which depending on the work involved, can be anywhere from 2-20 percent of the total value.

As most foreigners doing business in China can attest, it is not very easy. “Even if they (Chinese suppliers) don’t understand what you are talking about, they still say yes, resulting in a faulty final product” claims Razavifar, who attributes this problem to communication and cultural differences. Despite this frequent glitch, Razavifar finds most suppliers to be “kind and supportive, and will stay with you until the last step.”

The political situation in Iran has also created several business challenges. On several occasions, Chinese banks have refused to cash checks issued by Iranian banks. Clients have also had their doubts about the reliability of shipping in the region. To this, Razavifar confidently states, “Business is quite risky now, but we always find a way to solve these problems. People need to do business.”

Razavifar appears to be quite happy with the job. “Everyday I learn something, and I feel there is something new in my life.” A constant stream of requests for new products keeps him busy researching, traveling, and meeting new people. Through the years, his company has grown tenfold in sales since the time of its inception. Aiming high, this year’s goal is to reach US$10 million in sales.

Shenzhen is becoming Razavifar’s home away from home. Although business opportunities exist in other countries, he says, “I prefer to stay here, I feel more comfortable here, and I want to have my children here.” With a newly bought house and a successful business, Razavifar seems to be in Shenzhen for the long haul.