Iran's central bank says about 35 percent of unfulfilled export currency obligations trace to rented trading cards

Seyed Abdolmajid Ejtehadi, deputy governor for legal and parliamentary affairs at the Central Bank of Iran, said on Sunday 2 August 2026 (11 Mordad 1405) that available data show about 35 percent of expired and unfulfilled export currency obligations trace to single use or rented trading cards, which he said are issued without any credit assessment.

According to Ejtehadi, people with no qualifications, assets or knowledge of commercial activity end up holding trading cards, and the purpose of using them is to escape financial tracing for tax purposes, to avoid repatriating export proceeds, and to avoid settling obligations to the state.

Citing clause (t) of Article 6 of the 1392 (2013) Law on Combating Goods and Currency Smuggling, he said the law explicitly requires an integrated credit assessment and rating system for the issuance, renewal and cancellation of trading cards. He also pointed to Article 33 bis 2 of the same law, which bans renting, buying, selling or transferring a trading card. He said these provisions became binding in 1392 (2013) and 1401 (2022). Repatriated export earnings are a primary source of hard currency for Iran's official FX platforms, so any shortfall affects the supply balance in the currency market.