Iran announced the ban on the registration and import of French cars in the country.
Omid Kalibaf, spokesman for the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, said the decision was taken “in response to the unprofessional behavior” of French automakers in previous years, according to Iran’s semi-official news agency Tesnim.
Noting that the import of vehicles produced by French companies such as Renault, Peugeot and Citroen is prohibited within the scope of the decision taken by the Ministry, Kalibaf said, “We did not issue any licenses for the import of French cars during this period. The automobile imports are only Japanese, Korean, Chinese and non-French European cars.” aforementioned.
“Iran will not allow them (the French) to put sanctions on the Iranian auto industry and market,” Kalibaf said.
Iranian automakers such as “Iran Khodro” and “Saipa” mostly co-produced with French companies such as Peugeot, Renault and Citroen. The sanctions imposed by the US in 2018 also targeted the automotive industry, one of Iran’s largest employment areas.
Foreign companies, notably French automakers such as Peugeot, Renault and Citroen, had halted their activities in Iran due to extensive unilateral sanctions by the United States. For this reason, Iran, which had problems in supplying parts, turned to domestic solutions.
