LACHEN, Switzerland (AP) Iraqi planes bombing Tehran airport in1980 left Iranian paper merchant Mohamed Porkar stranded inSwitzerland where he had gone on a business trip.
After six weeks of waiting for the fighting to stop, he decidedto stay and start a new career: Porkar, 37, has turned the alpinecountry into the world's biggest caviar conduit.
Whether it's for the Washington party circuit, ritzy Parisrestaurants or first-class airline travelers, Iranian caviar passesthrough Porkar's hands and cold storage at Zurich airport.
In only three years, he pulled Iran's caviar export out of aslump that followed the Iranian hostage crisis and the outbreak ofthe war with Iraq. Iran now controls most of the internationalmarket, which represented 305 tons last year.
One country that gets special treatment by Iran is the SovietUnion, the world's other big producer. Iran sets aside for it 60tons of caviar yearly under a bilateral contract, Porkar says.
"In good hotels and restaurants in Moscow, you have Iraniancaviar," he says.
Why?
"Russian caviar turns to plastic," because it's more processed,Porkar claims.
Porimex, Porkar's company, sold 110 tons of caviar last year,worth about $150 million.
It cornered three-quarters of the finicky French market with 40tons.
Next came the United States at 32 tons, and the rest wentmainly to European countries.
The Soviet Union exported 60 tons of its own caviar last year.
Much of the recent revival came in the American market, a factPorkar rates among his proudest achievements.
The United States once was the biggest Western customer but U.S.sanctions against Iran after the taking of the hostages had adevastating effect.
"Banking relations stopped, so U.S. importers lost contact withthe Iranian state caviar marketer," Porkar says. U.S. imports fellfrom 50 tons a year to five or six, he said.
Although the U.S. government didn't restrict the import ofIranian caviar, American distributors turned to European suppliers.
But they found that those suppliers saved the top grades forestablished customers and were powerless against war-induced deliverydelays.
Things changed after Porkar became his government's caviaragent.
Supply is more constant now that Porimex's caviar store acts asa buffer, and Porkar built up a transport network in Iran that letshim fly out at least one shipment a month - crucial during thehigh-sales Christmas season.
And the hostage crisis is history.
"U.S. wholesalers were a little suspicious when we started,"says Porkar. "But the trust came back within six months."
Porkar says the state marketer was so impressed by hisreconquering the U.S. market that it gave him the exclusive worldfranchise last year and dropped its other two distributors.
"We have good clients in Washington. When there is a reception,caviar must be there.
"There are two types, and I don't think people in Washingtonprefer Russian caviar," he says with a smile.
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