Iran is Also Going to Develop Toy Manufacturing Industry!

Not long ago, Iran and Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations and began to seek economic development internationally. The toy industry has also become an ice-breaking area. Recently, the chairman of the Iran Toy Association appealed to relevant domestic departments through the news media, hoping to relax relevant policy controls and develop the toy manufacturing industry.

 

Potential: cheap materials + energy advantages

In July, the Iranian Toy Association announced that Iran exported toys worth $20 million in the 2022 fiscal year (ending March 20, 2023).

"Currently, there are 250 active toy manufacturers in Iran with official brands. If our country can relax export controls to certain countries, we can increase the export volume of toys." The local Iranian news agency IRIB quoted a source from the Iranian Toy Association. say.
Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, Russia and Oman are the main export destinations for Iranian-made toys.

"We have cheap raw materials and energy in Iran, and we can compete with other countries in the field of toy exports, but certain laws and regulations reduce our ability to compete with other countries." Relevant sources added.

The person pointed out that in the 2022-23 fiscal year, Iranian toy manufacturers participated in several professional exhibitions held in Armenia and Iraq, which promoted the export volume of Iranian toys.V

 

Resistance: Financing difficulties + policy restrictions

The reason why Iran began to pay attention to the toy manufacturing industry is because in 2019, Iranian leaders saw that China’s monthly toy exports were as high as 3 billion U.S. dollars, which was higher than Iran’s income from selling oil. Therefore, toy exports are regarded as One way for Iran to break through trade sanctions.

Toy production in Iran faces a major problem: how to raise funds. Getting financing for a toy business in Iran is very difficult. According to relevant officials: “Local banks also do not cooperate with toy companies.” Mohammad Nahavandian, Iran’s Vice President in charge of economic affairs, called on local banks to support the country’s toy manufacturers at the 2019 Iranian National Toy Exhibition. Traders and exporters must participate in international toy expos and promote domestic products and brands.
In addition, the toy industry also needs to pay a high value-added tax and income tax of 9%, which is quite stressful.

Having said that, Iran's import and export policies change frequently. Before starting trade, companies need to further verify the latest detailed policies on the import and export of relevant products with the Iranian trade authorities, customs and trading partners. This is an important step in restricting the import and export of Iranian toys. reason.

 

Domestic sales: local weakness + strict protection against the West

It is understood that the size of Iran's domestic toy market is about US$300 million, of which domestic manufacturers account for about 30%-35%, and the rest are imported, 90% of which come from China. According to 2016 data, the import value of toys ranks only behind the import trade of weapons, medicines and cosmetics.

Iran is very wary of toys with Western cultural imprints (such as Barbie dolls and superhero dolls). It once closed toy stores for rectification in order to ban such toys.

Despite the objections of the Iranian authorities, imported toys have a special appeal for Iranian children, so Iran has also launched its own national image dolls to attract its own teenagers and their fans.