Mobile Phone Imports Decline in First Nine Months of the Year, Dollar Value Down 20%

Customs statistics for the first nine months of the year 1404 (From March to December 2025) show a noticeable contraction in Iran’s mobile phone market, with imports declining both in volume and dollar value compared with the same period last year.

According to the data, a total of 6,822,596 mobile phones were imported under tariff codes 85171390 and 85171420 during this period. This marks a 14.1 percent decrease compared with the 7,942,541 devices imported in the first nine months of 1403.

In addition to the drop in unit numbers, the total weight of imported shipments also declined, falling from 3.1 thousand tons last year to 2.7 thousand tons in the current period.

Divergence Between Dollar and Rial Values

One of the most notable aspects of the customs data is the clear divergence between the dollar and rial values of mobile phone imports. The dollar value of imports fell from 1.68 billion dollars in the first nine months of 1403 to 1.34 billion dollars this year, representing a 20.23 percent decline.

However, due to exchange rate fluctuations and domestic inflation, the rial value of these imports moved in the opposite direction. The total rial value of mobile phone imports reached 906,411 billion rials in the first nine months of this year, up sharply from 478,899 billion rials in the same period last year.

Overall, the figures point to a tightening supply in the mobile phone market, with fewer devices entering the country at a lower dollar cost, while consumers and businesses face significantly higher prices in local currency terms.