The unreasonable rise in customs duties creates an opportunity for smuggling, which in turn affects the competitiveness of Iranian manufacturers due to the cheap price of imports, Masoud Karbasian, the head of Iran’s Customs Administration said on Saturday. According to IRNA, Karbasian criticized the rise in tariffs, saying consumers were paying the price for the unfair tariffs. He also added that domestic products cannot compete with imports and as a result, “people are choosing to buy what they need through the black market.” In a meeting a group of industrialists, Karbasian also said the ministry of industry, mine and trade will determine the annual tariff ceilings by January 30, 2015.
