Oman Flight Halt Disrupts Phone Imports to Iran, Industry Official Says
An industry official says halted flights from Oman have disrupted phone imports to Iran, though earlier shipments have so far prevented a shortage.
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Flights from Oman to Iran have been halted for about a week, disrupting new mobile phone shipments, the head of an Iranian industry association says. He says phones imported before the interruption have so far kept the market supplied.
Abdolmahdi Asadi, head of Iran's Mobile Phone, Tablet and Accessories Association, told that more than 90% of the country's mobile phone supply arrives by air. A significant share had traveled from Dubai through Oman to Iran, he said.
Asadi said phone prices had fallen by roughly 20% to 30% since registration for import orders reopened about two weeks earlier. He rejected the suggestion that traders had hoarded phones and then released them into the market, arguing that sellers adjust supply to demand and prevailing prices.
The flight disruption has stopped new arrivals along the Oman route, Asadi said, but some companies had imported phones beforehand. For now, he said, the market is not facing a supply shortage.
