According to figures published on the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran's website, non-oil goods accounted for over 34.99 million tons of the total throughput, showing a 4.48% rise year-on-year.
The remaining 14.35 million tons pertained to oil products, indicating a 3.99% decline YOY.
This is the first time in months that PMO's monthly reports indicate a rise in throughput, as the volume of goods handled by Iranian ports took on a declining trend after last year's US reimposition of sanctions against the Islamic Republic, according to Financial Tribune.
US President Donald trump announced in May 2018 that the country was pulling out of the nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers, including the United States. The deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed in 2015 and implemented a year later. It saw Tehran limiting the scope of its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of international economic sanctions.
The reinstatement of US sections against Iran was initially met by a decline in economic activity. The above figures may indicate a reversal of the downtrend.
Container loading and unloading decreased by 52.39% to stand around 413,247 TEUs.
Close to 24.44 million tons of commodities were exported from the ports under review and over 11.52 million tons were imported, showing a 1.69% and 16.74% growth respectively compared with the similar period of last year.
A total of 1.65 million tons of goods were transited through the Iranian ports during the same period, indicating a 40.73% fall YOY.
The 21 ports under study include Iran’s southern ports of Abadan, Imam Khomeini, Bushehr, Khorramshahr, Genaveh, Bandar Lengeh, Chavibdeh, Arvandkenar, Charak and Dayyer located on the shores of the Persian Gulf, Shahid Rajaee, Shahid Bahonar, Qeshm and Tiab situated at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, Jask and Chabahar on the coasts of the Sea of Oman and the northern ports of Fereydounkenar, Noshahr, Astara, Amirabad and Anzali on the coastlines of Caspian Sea.
Busiest Ports
More than 25.08 million tons of commodities were loaded and unloaded in Hormozgan Province’s Shahid Rajaee Port, registering a 0.37% rise compared with the similar period of last year.
As a result, Shahid Rajaee was the country’s busiest port during the period under review. Non-oil goods accounted for 16.57 million tons and oil products for over 8.51 million tons of the total, showing a 2.19% decrease and a 5.72% growth respectively year-on-year.
Located 23 kilometers west of the port city of Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province, Shahid Rajaee Port is Iran’s biggest container port.
Over half of Iran’s commercial trading is carried out at Shahid Rajaee. The port complex also accounts for over 85% of all container throughput in the country.
According to Mohammad Reza Rezaei-Kouchi, the head of Majlis Development Commission, Shahid Rajaee Port has a 6% share in the region’s total container throughput per annum, ILNA reported.
Imam Khomeini Port in the southern Khuzestan Province was the second busiest port during the three months under review, handling close to 15.28 million tons of commodities. The figure shows an 8.08% increase YOY.
Non-oil goods accounted for more than 10.78 million tons and oil products for over 4.49 million tons of the total throughput in Imam Khomeini Port, registering a 22.03% growth and a 15.18% fall respectively year-on-year.
The third busiest was Qeshm Port, also located in southern Iran. More than 2.57 million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded there, indicating a 25.03% increase compared with the similar period of last year.
Non-oil goods accounted for over 2.52 million tons and oil products for around 52,840 tons of the total throughput in Qeshm Port, showing a 24.18% and 85.14% growth respectively YOY.
A total of 4.11 million passengers were transported to and from the aforementioned ports, registering a 36.83% plunge compared with last year’s similar period.
Private Sector Port Investments Double
Private sector investments in Iranian ports exceeded 13.54 trillion rials (about $114 million) during the last Iranian year (March 2018-19), which shows a 102.15% upsurge compared with the previous year.
The investments were made in 18 projects, ISNA reported.
Iran’s private sector has invested a total of 102.9 trillion rials (about $865 million) in Iran’s southern and northern ports in the last 10 years (March 2009-19).
These investments were made in 318 projects.
The highest amount of investments over the past decade was made in the southern Shahid Rajaee Port with 28.27 trillion rials (about $237 million).
Following Shahid Rajaee were Imam Khomeini and Chabahar ports both in the south with 28.08 trillion rials (about $236 million) and 26.35 trillion rials ($221 million) respectively.
Investments by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization stood at nearly 16.25 trillion rials (over $136 million) last year to register a 66.74% increase compared to the year before.
PMO’s overall investment during the past decade stands at 72.64 trillion rials ($610 million).