Circumventing Sanctions for Imports of Cars
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
TEHRAN – Secretary of Iranian Automobile Importers Association believes the country can skirt the U.S. sanctions for imports of cars.
Speaking to ILNA, Mehdi Dadfar said Majlis lawmakers agree the idea imports of cars and they believe imports determine some part of car demands in the country and there is no need to Majlis decision on imports of cars because decision to ban the imports has been taken by the related ministry and it can be lifted by the ministry.
On the remarks about probable imports of cars, he said he hopes this would happen and it should happen but no talks have been held about the probable scenario but the association has offered its proposal.
He expressed hope that ban on imports of cars would be lifted soon, reiterating that importers do not need the forex offered by the domestic sources and the imports will be done through foreign capital. He noted that companies have announced that they do not need any forex from the Central Bank or NIMA system for imports and they can skirt the sanctions by the overseas assets.
Dadfar admitted that currently the price of foreign cars in the country is high but in case the ban is lifted, the prices will become balanced and may be halved.
He then pointed to the details of nine-paragraph proposal to the government, saying that the association is ready to import cars with the forex of Iranians abroad.
He reiterated that lifting the ban on car imports will be first to the benefit of the people and then to the companies involved in the imports, noting that some 15,000 people in 680 economic enterprises were busy in this job and now the number has dropped to 2,000 people and in case the car imports begin, 13,000 people who have lost their jobs will back to their jobs.
