October 25, 2024
The head of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers of Iran (AHAMI) says 40 percent of all the home appliances sold in Iran are smuggled in. This is especially devastating as Iran is driving to become the major manufacturer of home appliances in the region, yet the volume of smuggled goods suggests that few Iranians care for Iranian-made appliances.
So, the question arises, why should anyone else? Alireza Mohammadi-Daniali, head of the AHAMI, said imports of major home appliances are almost all banned to protect domestic production. Mohammadi-Daniali went on to say that major foreign brands have abandoned the country over the last few years, presumably because of sanctions. He claimed Iranian producers have tried to fill the gap by increasing the quality of their products.
But that isn’t what usually happens when domestic firms find they no longer face competition from imports. He said Iran’s exports of home appliance are valued at around $200 million per year, or only about 3 percent of total output, and they are exported mainly to neighboring countries like Iraq, Azerbaijan and Armenia.