Iran Chamber of Commerce warns of essential goods supply disruption

Samad Hassanzadeh, head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, has issued an urgent letter to President Masoud Pezeshkian regarding unpaid foreign currency claims owed to importers of essential goods.

Importers of critical items, including grains and livestock and poultry feed, report a 17-month accumulation of unpaid currency claims. Hassanzadeh warned that the failure to settle these debts threatens the operational capacity of companies and could disrupt the stable supply of essential goods, ultimately increasing pressure on public livelihoods.

Despite a previous directive from President Pezeshkian ordering the immediate payment of 50 percent of these claims, Hassanzadeh noted that more than a month has passed without effective action. The letter highlights that administrative processes between executive agencies, such as the Plan and Budget Organization and the Audit Organization, have stalled, preventing the presidential order from being implemented.