Foroud Asgari, deputy economy minister and head of IRICA, outlined the details of the resolution at a meeting of the heads of specialized commissions of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA).
Asgari said the customs administration’s experience during wartime emergency conditions demonstrated that changes to procedures and the effective use of legal authority could accelerate cargo clearance. He stressed that customs authorities could not be expected to remove all trade barriers without the necessary legal powers while being bound by restrictive regulations.
The resolution was developed following efforts to secure permits and approvals involving around 25 government agencies, Asgari said. It was signed by the president on October 8, and its implementing guidelines must now be finalized and issued.
Comprising nine articles and 30 clauses, the resolution addresses procedures related to amendments to the Law on Combating the Smuggling of Goods and Currency, import order registration and the removal of obstacles to customs clearance. Its purpose is to clarify administrative requirements and prevent inconsistent interpretations of regulations.
Clear deadlines to prevent border delays
Asgari emphasized that the guiding principle should be to prevent goods from being held up at border crossings. To achieve this, the agencies involved in foreign trade must be given clear deadlines for providing their services.
Sampling and other inspection procedures, for example, should be completed within the prescribed timeframes without unnecessary repetition. Agencies that fail to comply with these requirements must be held accountable, he said.
Proper implementation of the resolution could also allow exporters to complete a substantial part of customs formalities at central customs offices, reducing the need for repeated inspections and checks at border crossings.
### Partial clearance and customs valuation reviews
Addressing requests for partial customs clearance, Asgari said specific applications from businesses would be examined. He added that recurring clearance problems affecting particular goods could be followed up if economic operators provided the relevant information.
He also said specialized trade associations could request reviews of customs valuations by submitting supporting technical documentation and expert assessments.
The comments come as Iran seeks to improve the efficiency of its foreign trade procedures and address administrative bottlenecks affecting the movement of goods.
Staffing and border-crossing bottlenecks
Asgari also reported measures to address staff shortages at customs offices in northern Iran, where the volume of essential goods arriving through northern ports has increased.
On truck congestion at border crossings, he said part of the problem stemmed from delays in the acceptance of trucks by the other side. Resolving this issue requires diplomatic follow-up, he noted, while emphasizing that domestic agencies involved in foreign trade must do everything possible to remove internal obstacles.
Problems involving X-ray inspection equipment were another issue requiring attention in customs operations.
Asgari welcomed a proposal for private-sector investment in X-ray equipment, saying private-sector participation could help improve service delivery and ease pressure on public resources wherever responsibilities could be delegated.
He concluded by stressing the need for closer cooperation among the Iran Chamber of Commerce, the customs administration and other government agencies to remove barriers to foreign trade and improve the efficiency of customs procedures.