Approval of Second-Hand Car Imports 'To Control Prices' Has Been Passed

As the prices of domestic and foreign cars in Iran have skyrocketed in recent years, making them unaffordable for many families, the Islamic Consultative Assembly has approved a bill to allow the import of second-hand foreign cars to break the monopoly and increase supply, with the approval of the Expediency Discernment Council. Meanwhile, corruption in the car production and import sector has become so blatant and widespread that it has raised concerns among parliament representatives. Jalal Rashidi-Koochi, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated in an interview with Khabar Online that the price of foreign cars in Iran is ten times higher than global prices, indicating that the car mafia in Iran is operating effectively. He identified arbitrary restrictions on imports as a factor driving up prices and suggested that breaking the monopoly, creating competition, and importing cars to sell them at real prices are among the solutions to the car market's problems. This parliament member criticized the quality and price of domestically manufactured cars, stating that car manufacturers are 'taking advantage of the situation' and have no rivals in terms of quality. Given that domestically produced cars lack quality and appropriate standards and have become a cause of fatalities in traffic accidents, and with the dollar priced at 50,000 tomans, most people cannot afford cars made in South Korea, Japan, or Europe, many are turning to Chinese cars, but not at their real prices. Previously, Lotfollah Siyahkali, another parliament member, reported that Chinese cars are being sold in Iran at ten times their actual price. On Sunday, it was announced that with the approval of the Expediency Discernment Council, the countdown for the import of second-hand cars to Iran has begun. Iranian media have not provided details on this bill, nor have they specified from which countries and in what manner the second-hand cars will be imported. Siamak Ghassami, an economic expert, tweeted that the approval for second-hand car imports is similar to the approval for new car imports, calling it 'news therapy' to control car prices. According to him, 'the pressure and demand for foreign currency for importing cars, whether new or second-hand, is such that currency is not allocated or will be allocated in trickles.'