17 Foreign Apparel Brands Licensed

A total of 17 foreign apparel brands have acquired licenses to sell in Iran and 14 others are in the process of obtaining the same, the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade’s Director General of Textile and Clothing Department Afsaneh Mehrabi told IRNA. According to regulations set by the ministry with the aim of fighting rampant smuggling in the domestic apparel market, foreign brands willing to sell their products in the Iranian market are required to directly apply for a license to set up a representative sales outlet in Iran. The representatives are also required that 20% of the value of their imports (in rial terms) be produced inside Iran during the first two years of their business activities. After two years, the authorized representatives are obliged to export 50% of the apparel produced domestically.