TEHRAN-Iran waived the ban on rice imports for a five-month period starting from Sunday, Tasnim news agency reported on Friday.

The waiver was announced to Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari in a letter by Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati on January 14.

On December 31, 2017, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) banned any registration for imports of rice until further notice, IRNA reported at the time.

“Regarding the mass imports of rice, more than one million tons, during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21- August 22, 2017), which surpassed domestic consumption and pulled market into recession, no further order registration should be allowed,” Hojjati wrote to Shariatmadari on December 20.

Accordingly, IRICA announced that registration for imports of rice is forbidden until further notice due to the order of agriculture minister and exports and imports regulations of Iran Trade Promotion organization (TPO). 

MA