TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A barter agreement between Iran and West Germany completed last year within a few months has brought the Germans back to a dominant position in Iran’s commercial life.

By the end of January 1953, Germany topped both Britain and Soviet Russia in volume and value of both imports and exports in Iranian trade statistics and was close on the heels of the United States.

As in most other trade centers of the Middle East, German businessmen outnumber all other travelers except those connected with government missions and agencies. Several have established residence in Tehran.

The scope of German trade with Iran covers almost the complete commodity listing of the government’s statistics. German imports ranging from pencils to machinery and exports to Germany from raisins to rugs. Germany is omitted on only a few items such as saffron, which Iran sells exclusively to Oman, Pakistan and India. The U.S., interestingly, buys more of pistachio nuts than any other country.

Oil, of course, is not an item in Iranian exports these days, but Persian carpets show as the biggest single foreign exchange earner, with a large volume shipped to Germany.