Iran Sets Foreign-Exchange Value Caps for Staple-Food Imports
Iran has introduced benchmark foreign-exchange value caps for imports of feed corn, edible oils, soybean meal, frozen lamb and raw sugar. The limits will be used in order registration and automated approvals, with values varying by product, origin and, in some cases, transport route.
New benchmarks for import registration
Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture Jihad has established maximum foreign-exchange values for several staple-food imports, creating new benchmarks for order registration and automated approval. Rokna reported that the ministry adopted the limits after reviewing recent changes in global commodity prices and consulting specialist industry associations.
The measure covers feed corn, sunflower oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, soybean meal, frozen lamb and raw sugar. The permitted values differ by commodity and country of origin, while some entries also distinguish between northern and southern ports or specify maritime loading. These are administrative valuation ceilings used during the import process, rather than announced retail or wholesale price controls.
Corn and edible-oil limits
Feed corn under tariff code 10059010 has been assigned a ceiling of €315 per tonne on a CFR basis. The listed origins are Brazil and Argentina, as well as Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia and Turkey. The ministry’s schedule identifies southern routing for some origins.
For crude sunflower oil under code 15121100, the maximum is €1,260 per tonne for supplies from Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Turkey through northern ports. Crude soybean oil under code 15071000 carries the same €1,260-per-tonne ceiling for Russia through northern ports, Iraq and Turkey. Rapeseed oils classified under codes 15141100 and 15149100 are capped at €1,200 per tonne when sourced from Russia, Kazakhstan or Belarus. Sunflower and soybean oil from Brazil and Argentina will be valued according to decisions of the Foreign Purchasing Council of Iran’s Government Trading Corporation.
Soybean meal, lamb and sugar
The soybean meal schedule under code 23040000 contains three origin-based values. Eghtesadafarin, citing the ministry’s letter, reported a ceiling of €490 per tonne for Brazil, Argentina and Turkey, including cargo loaded from Turkey by sea, and €480 per tonne for Russia. The same schedule also lists €460 per tonne for Brazil, Argentina, India and Iraq. Because Brazil and Argentina appear in both the €490 and €460 groups in the published account, importers will need to determine which shipment or routing conditions govern each valuation during registration.
Frozen lamb meat imported from Mongolia is capped at €5.3 per kilogram. Raw sugar under tariff codes 17011300 and 17011400 has a uniform ceiling of €462 per tonne regardless of origin. The ministry specified that meat is valued in euros per kilogram, while the other listed commodity limits are generally expressed per tonne.
Implications for buyers and suppliers
The benchmarks define the maximum values accepted by the registration system and therefore shape which contracts can pass administrative review without additional handling. Offers above the applicable ceiling may require revised commercial terms or clarification of origin, port and freight conditions. The distinction matters particularly for oils and soybean meal, where the approved amount depends on both sourcing country and logistics.
The notice also addresses orders issued from the Iranian calendar month of Esfand 1402 onward for companies acting on behalf of the ministry. For these transactions, a case-specific permit or inquiry code will determine the foreign-exchange valuation. If the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration cannot access the permit information, it must seek confirmation from the ministry’s Commercial Development Department. Importers will therefore need consistency among contracts, origin documents, shipping arrangements and registration data to avoid delays in approval or customs processing.
