“The transit volume came despite the outbreak of Covid-19, which led to the closure of many of our common border crossings for a few months,” Rouhollah Latifi was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.
The official added that the country’s top 10 busiest border crossings in terms of transit were Shahid Rajaee Special Economic Zone in the southern Hormozgan Province with more than 3,3 million tons, Bazargan in West Azarbaijan Province with 703,000 tons, Bashmaq in Kurdestan Province with 687,000 tons, Sarakhs in Khorasan Razavi Province with 457,000 tons, Imam Khomeini Port in Khuzestan Province with 447,000 tons, Bileh Savar in Ardebil Province with 337,000 tons, Jolfa in East Azarbaijan Province 312,000 tons, Razi in East Azarbaijan Province with 188,000 tons, Astara in Gilan Province with 156,000 tons and Bandar Lengeh in Hormozgan province with 139,000 tons.
Latifi said these 10 border crossings accounted for 89% of Iran’s overall transit during the period under review.
Biggest Container Port
With 12 wharfs, Shahid Rajaee is Iran’s biggest container port, accounting for 90% of the country’s total container throughput.
Over half of Iran’s commercial trading is carried out at Shahid Rajaee, which is located 23 kilometers west of the port city of Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province.
Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Organization finalized investment contracts with five local and one foreign company on Dec. 24. Agreements worth 250 trillion rials ($1 billion) were signed in the presence of Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami for developing 2,400 hectares of hinterlands newly added to Shahid Rajaee Port and upgrading southern ports to third generation.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development developed a taxonomy that classifies ports into first, second and third generations. First-generation ports only perform traditional port activities, i.e., they are simply interfaces between the land and the sea.
Second-generation ports are characterized as support service centers for transport, industry and trade that provide certain value-added cargo services, such as labeling volumes, consolidation, deconsolidation and completing production processes.
Third-generation ports are dynamic links in international trade networks and active agents that design and implement strategies for the complete development of a port’s area of influence.
The agreements include investment by Bama Company in establishing zinc, lead and manganese factories, Entekhab Industrial Group in construction of home appliance plants, Kayhan Port and Maritime Services Company in creating a variety of industries and Nahavand Arman Company in establishing a refinery.
A Chinese company will also invest in establishing a container manufacturing plant.
The Ports and Maritime Organization also finalized a memorandum of understanding with Bank Melli Iran Brokerage Company. The brokerage company will provide financial guarantees for these projects, the ministry’s news portal, News.mrud.ir reported.
Eslami said investment projects in Shahid Rjaee Port will create 20,000 jobs and their duration must not exceed three years.
“Increasing the capacity of Iranian ports to 280 million tons was the main approach pursued by the ministry and PMO over the past 40 years. As per development plans, their capacity must reach 500 million tons in five years,” he added.
Ports and Maritime Organization has finalized 336 contracts worth 1,300 trillion rials ($5.2 billion) with the private sector to date, said Mohammad Rastad, the organization’s managing director.