Iran Customs: 7 Million Tons of Essential Goods Warehoused, 120,000 Tons Spoiled

The technical deputy of Iran’s customs says “seven million tons of essential goods” that mostly “receive preferential foreign currency” have been stranded in ports with some spoiled.

The FARS News Agency reported on Monday, November 1, citing Mehrdad Jamal Aronaghi, that to clear seven thousand tons of goods remaining in ports that “have been warehoused for several months to several years,” “at least 5 billion dollars of 4,200 toman currency must be provided.”

The technical deputy of customs emphasized that some of these goods “have been in ports and customs facilities for one and a half to two years” and despite “warnings and follow-ups,” no action has been taken to clear them and “they have spoiled.”

He announced the amount of spoiled essential goods, which are mostly “wheat, corn, barley, soybean meal, oilseeds and soy,” imported with preferential currency, as “120,000 tons.” He stated that in 2020 “dozens of letters and correspondence” were exchanged about them and they “explicitly warned” about the spoilage of said goods.

The technical deputy of customs also announced that in 2020, “a reputable company” obtained “approximately 8 to 16 million euros of preferential government currency” for importing crude oil but did not import any goods in return.

According to him, the company’s “pursuit of counterfeit currency documents” has “extensive dimensions” and was discovered by a “regulatory body.”

Previously, Mohsen Rezaei, the economic deputy of Ibrahim Raisi, criticized the lengthy process of clearing goods in Iran’s ports, calling it an “internal sanctions” and stated that if this process continues, even if external sanctions are lifted today, it will have little effect on resolving Iran’s problems.

Also, the file of essential goods warehoused in customs was sent on October 18 by the Islamic Consultative Assembly to the judiciary to determine the fate of “millions of tons of essential goods” and to investigate violations by the “Ministry of Agriculture Jihad” and “Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Trade” as well as Iran Customs.

According to reports, the joint violation of these two ministries and the customs organization in “violating the law,” “creating monopoly,” and failing to transfer data to the “Integrated Iran Trade System” has caused “millions of tons of goods” to remain in customs and not be cleared.

Source: Voice of America