Summary
Europeans are complaining about rising American trade with Iran as their companies bear the brunt of the sanctions that the U.S. government pushed through against the Islamic Republic.
While Europe's trade with Iran still dwarfs that of the U.S. by more than 20-to-one, American business has climbed 35 percent since 2011, compared with a 77 percent drop for the European Union, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
U.S. trade with Iran rose to $315 million last year from $234 million in 2011, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
At the end of last year, U.S. companies traded $1 with Iran for every $26 Europe did, compared with $155 two years earlier.
The U.S. isn't seeking to give its companies advantages through its sanctions regime, a senior U.S. administration official said.
The U.S. official said it's not feasible to provide indemnities covering the thousands of transactions that occur every year, and that the U.S. has assured Iran's trading partners they won't be penalized for selling humanitarian goods.
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