Turkeys olive exports toIranhave fallen eightfold in just one year to 500 tons, mainly due to restrictions from the Iranian government, which Aegean exporters claim is aiming to control the value of the local currency.Turkeys olive exports to Iran, which had reached 4,000 tons in 2010, makingIrana significant market for Turkey, receded to 500 tons in 2011-2012 season, as the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters Union reported in a written statement.
Iran, struggling with a foreign currency shortage blamed on a U.S. embargo, has been trying to decrease imports to the country by introducing bureaucratic regulations. Lately,Iranhas stopped providing import licenses, bringing Turkish olive exports to the country to a halt.
This is not the first restriction by Iran. Prior to difficulties with licenses,Iranraised the tax rate on imported goods from 20 percent to around 90 percent. Turkey was the top olive importer to Iran, but,Iranhas been imposing a customs tax on Turkey,Greeceand Spain with a 90 percent rate for olives and 50 percent for olive oil, while imposing [a rate of] only 4 percent on Syria, said Kadri Gnde?, a high-level manager of the Aegean exporters union.
By Hurriyet Daily News
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