While basic foodstuff was imported for strategic storage purposes during the first eight months of this year (March 21- October 21, 2014), given the available supply of rice and sugar their imports are presently banned, Ali Ghanbari, the deputy minister of industry, mine, and trade said on Tuesday. As Mehr news agency reported, Ghanbari expressed confidence in the way imports of basic food is supervised in the country and said the administration has not violated any import laws. “During the first eight months of the current year, 830 thousand tons of rice worth $1.28 billion were imported, which shows a 36.31 percent decrease compared to the same period last year,” the official said. “Over the period, 742 thousand tons of sugar, worth $345 million, were imported, registering a 12.3 percent decrease compared to the previous year.”
