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Are Iranians ready to 'Buy Iranian'?

As Iran rings in the new year, the government has launched a campaign to encourage the public to buy locally made goods, but whether the public has as much enthusiasm for local products is another question.
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In keeping with the tradition of declaring an annual motto at the beginning of each Iranian year, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has named the current year that began March 21 “Support for Iranian Products.” Many observers say the motto is a continuation of last year's, “Economy of Resistance: Action and Deeds,” and is a clear sign that Iran is continuing to focus on the economy, its Achilles' heel. Indeed, the function of the annual motto is to provide a discursive framework for the state's policy priorities and to signal to the public that issues of concern are being addressed.

Following Khamenei’s Nowruz speech on March 21, Iranians have had mixed reactions to his urging citizens to buy domestically made products. President Hassan Rouhani quickly pledged support and promised that his administration will do everything in its capacity to implement the guidelines. Meanwhile, government spokesman Mohammad Bagher Nobakht tweeted that the administration will repay more than 1 quadrillion rials ($26.5 billion) of its debts to local contractors in the new Iranian year as a means to support embattled banks and domestic production.

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