Almost a third of all the cars made in Iran are Peugeot models. While many of the parts for those cars are made in Iran, some of the parts for all six Peugeot models put together in Iran must be imported. So the delivery suspension is likely to bring Peugeot assembly to a total halt soon.
Pierre-Olivier Salmon, a spokesman for Peugeot, told Agence France Presse, “The decision to halt shipments was taken during February for the month of March and renewed for April. It is a decision taken month-by-month.”
Iran Khodro, the firm that assembles the Peugeots, which account for well over half of Iran Khodro’s output, has not said anything about the suspension.
Iran Khodro is Iran’s largest automaker and accounts for about half of Iranian auto output. Peugeots account for about 30 percent of all the cars sold in Iran.
Peugeot did not say why it had halted shipments to Iran. But last week, General Motors bought 7 percent of the shares in Peugeot. The pressure group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is now leaning on GM to sever the Peugeot-Iran Khodro link and suggesting it might be a violation of US law.
Thirty-two percent of GM is still owned by the US government as part of the 2008 US bailout of the auto firm.