Iran imports 14m tons of basic goods since March

Nearly 14 million tons of basic goods have been cleared through Iran’s customs since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2019), IRNA reported, quoting the head of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), as saying.

According to Mehdi Mirashrafi, nearly 20 million tons of goods have been imported into the country since the beginning of the current year of which about 14 million tons were basic goods.

Referring to the fundamental changes in customs and the transformation of traditional and manual activities to systemic, automatized procedures, Mirashrafi said, using advanced electronic systems has contributed to the rapid and less timely clearance of imported goods especially the basic commodities and raw materials which are really important for the country’s production units during the sanctions.

Pointing to the 22-percent rise of the clearances in the mentioned period compared to the previous year, the official noted that this improvement is a result of close cooperation and coordination among various entities in IRICA.

He noted that measures such as direct shipment of goods, acceptance of bank guarantees, clearance on installment, etc. have had a significant impact on ease of access to basic goods for production units to meet the needs of the country's industries.

According to Mirashrafi, one of the problems that most of the producers are facing is the lack of liquidity, in this regard IRICA has agreed to help the producers by letting them clear their goods by paying the duties partially.

Back in May, IRICA announced that it was providing new facilities for importers of basic goods to make them able to clear their commodities in less than an hour.

“For basic goods such as meat, system formalities and clearance procedures will be carried out in less than an hour and importers can transport their goods soon after,” Deputy IRICA Head Mehrdad Jamal Orounaqi said.

According to the official, IRICA also selected 120 major manufacturing companies under the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) framework to provide them with especial facilities like non-stop and duty-free clearance.

source: Tehran Times