Egyptian importers have requested that the Trade Ministry allow the import of Iranian wheat in order to diversify the sources of wheat available to Egypt in light of a current Russian ban on the exportation of the vital commodity, said Trade Ministry Adviser Sayed Abu al-Qumsan.
The ministry is considering the request, added al-Qumsan, pointing out that there were currently no political restrictions on Iranian imports. He said that international tenders were generally offered by the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) and stressed that only commodities of the best quality and price were selected for import.
He added that the import of Iranian wheat would depend on several factors, the most important of which was whether the product in question was up to Egyptian quality standards.
He went on to explain that Iranian wheat had never been imported through tenders or the private sector, a prerequisite for the inclusion of any new import source country. Importers had not previously considered importing wheat from Iran, he noted, since the latter had not enjoyed surpluses in recent years.
The ministry announced nearly two years ago that the import of Iranian wheat was being considered, but, said al-Qumsan, no offers had been made to the GASC.
According to Deputy Minister for Legal and Legislative Affairs at the Ministry of Trade and Industry Hisham Rajab, the GASC's policy is based on the diversification of import source countries in an effort to attain the best prices available.
Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in 1980 following Iran's Islamic Revolution and Egypt's Camp David peace deal with Israel.
According to official statistics, annual trade between Egypt and Iran has ranged between US$3 million and US$15 million over the course of the past two decades. This September, Iran introduced a ban on the import of Egyptian oranges.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
