Iran: all agri-food exports banned

March 4, 2026 at 1:12 PM , Der AUDITOR
Play report as audio

TEHRAN. Amidst the war with the USA and Israel Iran has announced a total agri-food export ban. Kuwait has done the same. US President Donald Trump intends to halt trading with Spain.

Regime issues export ban

On 3 March, several news websites reported that Iran has suspended shipments of “all food and agricultural products”. This information was obtained from the semi-official news agency Tasnim, which is associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. A government statement reads that shipments will be blocked “until further notice”, adding that the “government has prioritised the supply of essential goods for the people”.

Trading with Iran already turned more difficult in January, after the regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters and the internet shutdown. International communication has been extremely difficult for certain businesses since. The risk of war also prompted traders in Turkey to stop importing Iranian pistachios.

Export ban in Kuwait and more

With the conflict affecting the entire Middle East, Kuwait has also issued a temporary export ban for food commodities with the Kuwait News Agency reporting that Osama Boodai, the country’s Minister of Commerce and Industry emphasising that the intention is to “protect consumers and enhance market stability.”

Traders around the world are, in addition, highly concerned with the rising oil prices. Fortunately, gains eased a bit on Wednesday over reports of Iranian intelligence official indirectly contacting the USA to discuss a possible way to end the conflict as Trading Economics states. Rising gas prices are also an issue as major gas exporters in the region have halted production. International fertiliser suppliers are, in addition, impacted by the standstill in the strait of Hormuz.

In another twist, US President Donald Trump threatened that the USA will “cut off all trade with Spain” on Tuesday as the country refused Washington the use of its bases to fly attacks on Iran. However, it will be difficult for Trump to exclude Spain from the trade deal negotiated with the EU last year as Reuters reports.

 

View more
- price charts on nuts, dried, fruit, seeds, grains and spices

View related articles

Go to the News Overview
Nuts
Oct 15, 2026
ORDU. Growers still prefer selling to the TMO because of the better prices. Overall, however, raw material sales remain sluggish. Ferrero will soon start buying in-shell hazelnuts.
Nuts
Oct 15, 2026
SACRAMENTO. As with many other agricultural products, this year’s almond harvest in California began earlier than usual. Exports are going very well and reached a five-year high in September.
Nuts
Oct 14, 2026
ATHENS/BRUSSELS. The Greek chestnut crop is roughly the same size as last year, whilst the proportion of smaller nuts is rising. Wholesale prices are at last year’s levels. The EU has significantly increased its imports.
Nuts
Oct 13, 2026
MANILA. Export quotations for desiccated coconuts remain stable, while coconut oil and copra are becoming cheaper. El Niño is increasing the risk to supply in the coming year. Furthermore, bottlenecks in container transport are hampering Philippine exports.