China has raised import tariffs on certain agricultural products, including Iran’s saffron, says Seyyed Hashem Naqibi, an official with Khorasan Razavi Agricultural Jihad Organization. This is while China imposes next-to-zero tariffs on imports from several countries. This, according to the official has led to smuggling of Iranian saffron to third countries from where it is re-exported to China, IRNA reported. According to Naqibi, Iran accounts for around 95% of world saffron production. More than 350 tons of the expensive spice was produced in Iran last year, indicating a 25% rise compared to the precious year, of which 130 tons were exported. The UAE, Spain, China and Hong Kong have until recently been the biggest destinations for Iranian saffron.
