Ezzatollah Zarai, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, clarified the status of car imports in a press conference and said: "Car imports have not been banned and only imports through Iranians residing abroad are prohibited." These statements were made while many individuals were concerned due to rumors regarding a ban on car imports.
Continuation of Car Imports with Order Registration
Zarai explained: "Other groups of importers can register orders, and so far about 25,000 vehicles have been imported into the country since the beginning of this year." He noted that car imports will continue with currency provision from his own and others' deposits, and this news could help stabilize the car market.
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Increase in Car Import Tariffs and Its Consequences
He also referred to the issue of increasing car import tariffs and stated: "The Central Bank and the Planning and Budget Organization have raised the issue of increasing car import tariffs to compensate for the government's resource deficit. However, the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade strongly opposes this increase and believes that car imports should play a role in market regulation, not in compensating for the government's resource deficit."
Zarai emphasized that this resolution has been approved in a meeting of the heads of the branches of government, but it has not yet been officially communicated by the issuing authority. He also added that the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade was not involved in this process and therefore was unaware of the decisions made.
Offering Car Import Order Registration in the Commodity Exchange
Zarai further referred to the recent resolution of the heads of the branches of government, which mentioned offering car import order registration through the commodity exchange. According to him, the government is obliged to offer the import quota through a competitive market, but a specific mechanism for this action has not yet been determined. This issue could lead to the creation of a monopoly in car imports.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade also warned that offering the car import quota in the commodity exchange might increase car prices and lead to the creation of a monopolistic market in this area. The Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade has also expressed its opposition to this matter and is awaiting a final decision regarding it.
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