Production of garments in Iran increased 70 percent during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-November 20), compared to the same period of time in the past year, according to the vice-chairman of Iran Textile Exporters and Manufacturers Association (ITEMA).
Majid Nami said the ban on foreign brands import and the closure of borders due to the spread of the coronavirus and the reduction of smuggled garments have contributed to this success.
Since the beginning of this year, garment production has fluctuated, but in general, the production situation has been satisfactory for the producers, he stated.
Today, the share of Iranian brands in the market has increased significantly compared to the last year, Nami underscored.
According to the last data released by the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iranian garment manufacturers exported $35.19 million worth of clothing items to 29 foreign destinations in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-August 21).
“Iran exported 4,527 tons of clothing to 29 countries in the mentioned period, while last year the destination countries for the Iranian clothing were only Afghanistan, Russia, Iraq, and Yemen,” Ruhollah Latifi has announced.
According to Latifi, Iranian garments are exported to Iraq, Kuwait, Australia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Germany, Korea, Japan, UAE, UK, Venezuela, Ivory Coast, Italy, Turkey, Canada, Qatar, Oman, Nigeria, Switzerland, Pakistan, Georgia, Spain, and Denmark.
As reported, during this period less than 2.5 tons of the said products worth $514,441 were imported into the country which were mostly entered the country by passengers or via mail since the import of clothing is banned.
According to the chairman of Tehran’s Union of Garments Manufacturers and Sellers, domestic units are supplying 70-80 percent of the requirement for clothing inside the country.
“After the ban imposed on the imports of clothing, domestic units are taking all endeavors to boost the quality and quantity of their products in a way that we saw no shortage in clothing market before the new year holiday (early March),” Abolqasem Shirazi said.