70% of Iran's meat imports now come overland; imports since the start of the year reach 12,000 tons

The head of Iran's association of importers of raw animal products said on Saturday, 3 Mordad 1405 (25 July 2026), that meat imports since the start of the current Iranian year have reached 12,000 tons, adding that this volume needs to increase in order to complete the country's strategic reserves.

He said around 70 percent of meat imports are currently carried out over land routes. The shift of import traffic toward land borders comes at a time when, according to oil industry officials, transit restrictions at southern ports have made it harder to source part of the country's imports.

Red meat is a sensitive item in the Iranian household food basket, and the path of its imports and reserves feeds into retail prices and inflation expectations.