In a letter addressed to the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, Foroud Asgari, Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari said the ban is aimed at “balancing the domestic market”, Mehr News Agency reported on Saturday.
If the raw material for the production of any of the abovementioned goods is temporarily imported (to be reexported after being processed), they will be exempt from the new regulation, the letter added.
Importers of tea and paper enjoy subsidized forex rates as these commodities are considered essential goods.
The import of milk powder and butter has been banned since June, as part of a broader ban on a long list of 1,339 items categorized as “non-essential goods with equivalents made at home”. The measure is expected to help economize on foreign currency outflows.
The Industries Ministry also banned the export of scrap tires and waste rubber in a letter to IRICA last week, which has been notified to customs offices across the country on August 12.
The export of all kinds of refined vegetable oils has been banned since July 31 in a directive sent by Shariatmadari to the Iranian Vegetable Oil Industry Association, a day before the ban took effect.
The measure was reportedly taken to make up for supply shortages in the domestic market, as the commodity is considered a staple food in Iran, according to Financial Tribune.
According to the association, as subsidized foreign exchange is used to import raw vegetable oils, the move is also meant to end the export of subsidies allocated by the government.