Spare parts union says new import registration has effectively stopped since the start of the year

Hamidreza Habib Dolabi, a member of the Tehran union of manufacturers and sellers of vehicle and machinery spare parts, said in an interview published on Thursday, 30 July 2026 (8 Mordad 1405) that since the start of the current Iranian year it has effectively been impossible for many businesses in the sector to register new import orders, and that what traders see on the ground differs from officials' statements that the order registration process is continuing.

According to him, the market for heavy vehicle parts, industrial machinery and bearings is under the greatest pressure, because those items are sourced mainly from Japanese and Chinese brands. He added that even before recent events a significant share of Japanese imports came through intermediaries such as the United Arab Emirates, but transport restrictions and the closure of some trade routes have made supply harder still, and shortages of Chinese and Japanese items are now clearly felt in the market.

Habib Dolabi cited a change in the basis for calculating customs duties and the higher landed cost of imports caused by the exchange rate as further factors behind price growth, saying the price of many parts has risen by roughly 70 to 80 percent since late last year. Traders' uncertainty about whether they can restock, he said, has itself affected market behaviour.