Competition Council Issues New Vehicle Pricing and Sales Directive With a Competitiveness Index

Iran's Competition Council issued an updated version of its passenger vehicle market regulation directive, incorporating amendments through September 15, 2026 (24 Shahrivar 1405). Based on the council's session 543 resolution, the key change strengthens the "competitiveness index": each domestic or assembled vehicle's price is compared against the average price of at least three similar foreign vehicles and ranked from A to F. Vehicles ranked F (an index below negative 15) will not be allowed price increases until their competitiveness improves. Under a session 869 resolution dated September 15, when an automaker lacks full access to the official commercial exchange rate, the exchange rate it actually used to calculate its production cost will serve as the basis for the competitive base price. On the sales side, the minimum buyer age was set at 18 and proxy transfers of purchase order allocations were banned; electric vehicles are excluded from the directive.