Iran has lifted its ban on scrap imports from Iraq and Afghanistan, but the process remains complex, a trader in Tehran said Thursday.
"Importing metal scrap from these two countries is possible now but getting the needed permission is not easy," he said.
A detailed inspection is required for any scrap imported into Iran, and this was more rigorous for shipments from countries where there was war activity, he said.
"It may be easier in future but at the moment there is little chance of gaining permission to import scrap from these countries, especially Iraq," the trader added.
Iranian customs on May 21 banned all metal scrap imports from Iraq and Afghanistan due to concerns over contamination from radioactivity or chemicals, or even unexploded munitions.
It subsequently published another circular canceling the ban, according to Iranian news agency reports published May 29.
Iran is not a big importer of scrap at present but its steel sector's demand for scrap is expected to increase as output rises.
The country's electric arc furnace-based steel industry mostly uses sponge iron, with about 10-15% of scrap feedstock.
Its scrap is mostly sourced from domestic suppliers, supplemented with imports from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and the UAE, according to Iranian customs data.
