Latest figures published on the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran’s website show non-oil goods accounted for 79.55 million tons of the total throughput, showing a 2.07% year-on-year growth.
The remaining 37.09 million tons pertained to oil products, indicating a 1.87% increase YOY, Financial Tribune reported.
Container loading and unloading declined by 40.73% to stand at 1.09 million TEUs.
More than 59.02 million tons of commodities were exported from the ports under review and close to 26.11 million tons were imported during the 10 months, indicating a 13.67% and 15.82% growth respectively compared with the similar period of last year.
A total of 3.33 million tons of goods were transited through these ports during the same period to register a 42.72% YOY decline.
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 Persian Gulf, Shahid Rajaee, Shahid Bahonar, Qeshm and Tiab 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 shoreline of Caspian Sea.
Shahid Rajaee was the busiest port during the period under review.
More than 57.73 million tons of commodities were loaded and unloaded at this port, registering a 3.48% growth compared with the similar period of last year.
Non-oil goods accounted for 36.29 million tons and oil products for over 21.44 million tons of the total, showing a 1.06% and 7.36% growth respectively year-on-year.
Located 23 kilometers west of the port city of Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province, Shahid Rajaee 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 10 months under review, as it handled close to 37.22 million tons of commodities. The figure shows a 17.6% increase YOY.
Non-oil goods accounted for 24.77 million tons and oil products for over 12.44 million tons of the total throughput in Imam Khomeini Port, registering a 23.62% and 7.2% growth respectively year-on-year.
The third busiest was Qeshm Port. More than 5.76 million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded there, indicating a 24.96% increase compared with the similar period of last year.
Non-oil goods accounted for over 5.64 tons and oil products for around 113,422 tons of the total throughput in Qeshm Port, showing a 24.95% and 16.38% growth respectively YOY.
A total of 11.43 million passengers were transported to and from the aforementioned ports, registering a 17.05% decrease compared with last year’s similar period.
54% Growth in Non-Government Port Investments
The non-government sector has signed investment contracts worth 54,982 billion rials ($407 million) with Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran for the development of Iranian ports during the 10 months to Jan. 20, PMO official, Hossein Sadeqinejad, said recently.
The official has been quoted by the news outlet of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development as saying that the investment volume shows a 54% growth on a year-on-year basis.
These investments will be dedicated to building a wharf and a mechanized rail terminal for mineral transportation and granary, creating transportation routes for petroleum products, improving technical services and setting up factories in the ports of Chabahar, Shahid Rajaee and Imam Khomeini, Sadeqinejad added.