Remarkable Rise in Gilan Ports’ Throughput

EghtesadOnline: A total of 1.18 million tons of commodities and 4,285 TEUs of container goods were loaded and unloaded in the northern Gilan Province’s ports during the first nine months of the current Iranian year (March 20-Dec. 20).

News ID: ۷۵۱۷۶۶

03 January 2021

According to Mohammad Mohsen Salimipour, a local official, Anzali Port accounted for 1.03 million tons and 4,100 TEUs of the total sum, showing a 38% and 59% rise respectively, compared with the similar period of last year.

The remaining 151,000 tons and 185 TEUs were handled by Astara Port, indicating a respective increase of 27% and 100% year-on-year, IRNA reported.

The official noted that 27% and 28% more vessels entered Anzali and Astara Ports respectively during the nine-month period.

Gilan is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It lies along the Caspian Sea, west of the province of Mazandaran, east of the province of Ardabil, and north of the provinces of Zanjan and Qazvin. It borders the Republic of Azerbaijan in the north and Russia across the Caspian Sea.

Notably, most of Iran’s trade with the Eurasian countries is carried out through Gilan Province.

Countries of the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran are increasing their mutual trade, despite the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Eurasian Economic Commission.

For eight months of 2020, trade increased by 2% and exceeded $2 billion. The rise in imports from Iran by almost $230 million has made the main contribution to growth, 24.kg reported.

Agricultural products became the basis of mutual trade. Food products and agricultural raw materials accounted for about 80% ($939 million) of the volume of supplies from EEU states to Iran. In return, similar goods accounted for most of the supplies from Iran to the union, i.e., 6%, or $575 million.

Fruits and nuts were the main drivers of import growth from Iran.

Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union signed a three-year provisional agreement in Astana, Kazakhstan, on May 17, 2018, for the bloc to welcome Iran into EEU. The arrangement, which lowers or abolishes customs duties, is the first step toward implementing free trade between Iran and the five members of the union.

The average tariff set by EEU on Iranian goods as part of a preferential trade agreement stands at 3.1%, while the figure is 12.9% for EEU goods exported to Iran.

Iran and EEU have listed 862 types of commodities in their three-year provisional trade agreement. As per the deal, Iran will enjoy easier export terms and lower customs duties on 502 items and the same goes for 360 items from EEU member states.

Latest data show 637,558 tons of commodities worth $394 million were exported from the northern Gilan Province during the first eight months of the current Iranian year to Oct. 20.

According to Farhad Dalgh-Poosh, the head of Gilan’s Trade Promotion Organization, the figures indicate a 36% and 51% rise in terms of volume and value respectively compared with the similar period of last year.

Exports mainly included vegetable and fruit, minerals and plastic products, which are shipped to several international markets, including Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Afghanistan and Iraq, Mehr News Agency reported.

A total of 133,017 tons of goods worth $580 million were imported into Gilan during the same period to register a 44% and 1% growth in tonnage and value respectively year-on-year.

Cereals, animal feed, meat, oil, soybean and pulp were the main commodities imported to Gilan in the period under review.

Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Ukraine, Turkey and Ecuador were the top exporters to the province.