TEHRAN – Iran has eased logistics and customs procedures for essential goods, raw materials and production equipment following the unification of exchange rates, with no shortages reported in basic supplies, a senior trade official said.

Seyed Ali Emami, director general for logistics and support at the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPO), said differences in foreign currency exchange rates had previously delayed the fulfilment of foreign currency commitments, making special measures necessary after the reform.

He said a daily task force has been meeting at the Central Bank with the participation of the president or the first vice president and senior economic ministers to remove bottlenecks and prevent disruptions. Decisions taken by the task force carry the same executive authority as cabinet resolutions, he added.

Emami said the scope of the task force’s decisions was broad and covered multiple sectors, including health, environmental issues and essential goods.

He cited comments by the minister of roads and urban development indicating an increase in the volume of clearance and transportation of essential goods at customs.

Emami said transport and logistics constraints had been reduced to a minimum, allowing goods distribution to continue smoothly. He expressed hope that the trend would continue, with fewer restrictions on imports and improved conditions for exports.

He said there were no challenges in supplying essential goods, raw materials or production equipment, adding that streamlined customs and transport procedures had led to the clearance and movement of large volumes of essential goods. Clearance times and the length of stay of cargo at customs terminals have fallen sharply, he said.

EF/MA