Iran has granted 30 international garment producers to do business in the country, following new regulations introduced to restrict importing garments. The head of Tehran’s Union of Garment Manufacturers and Sellers, Abolqasem Shirazi, confirmed that under the new regulations producers must make 20 per cent of the total value of their output inside the country, IRIB news agency reported. However, Shirazi did not provide further information on the brands.

Iran customs administration recently barred individuals from importing clothing items into the country. According to Iran customs administration, only registered firms or their representatives are entitled to import garment. Iranian sources suggest the country’s per capita garment consumption stands at 147 per year and foreign companies share of the 11.5 billion market is about 2.5-3 billion.

Almost 1,500 industrial units and 30,000 employees are involved in the countrys clothing sector with a capacity for producing 340,000 tons of garments per year. About 90 percent of items offered in clothing market are smuggled into the country. The economy of Iran is a mixed and transition economy with a large public sector.