Sanctions in Place, Iran Basic Goods Imports Grow

Head of Iran’s Government Trading Corporation (GTC) Amir Talebi said that the import of basic commodities last year (March 2019-20) recorded a 2.5 fold upsurge as compared to the same period last year.

“Most basic goods, imported into the country last year, were relocated directly to permanent goods depots via vessels which decreased transportation costs and sped up delivery of goods to the destination,” he added.

Supply of basic goods is GTC’s main job, he said, adding, “to preserve strategic reserves in Iran and monitor the global market, goods needed in the country are bought while the country is facing harsh US sanctions.”

He also noted that more than 2 million tons of basic products [including rice, vegetable oil and sugar] were imported into the country last year [ended March 19, 2020], some of these products have been distributed across the country.

Yet, on February 23, Iranian medication importers said that they were getting more and more pressed by the US sanctions and measures undertaken by an international task force and they are making it difficult for the country to confront an outbreak of coronavirus and import test kits to detect the infection. - Fars