Ravanbakhsh Behzadian, an official with the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, said container shipping stood at 8.66 million tons during the period, solid and liquid bulk cargo transport hit 17.77 million tons and 1.94 million tons respectively, general cargo reached 8.37 million tons and oil products amounted to 22.24 million tons.
“Last year’s corresponding period saw container shipping operations hover around 8.49 million tons, solid bulk at 16.77 million tons, liquid bulk at 1.31 million tons, general cargo at 7.02 million tons and oil products at 18.14 million tons,” he was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.
“Solid bulk cargo transport shows a 6%, liquid bulk 47.9%, general cargo 19.4% and oil products 22.6% growth year-on-year.”
According to Mohammad Rastad, the head of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran affiliated with the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, a total of 11.4 million tons of essential goods were transported from Iranian ports to destinations across the country from the beginning of the current Iranian year on March 21 to Sept. 1, registering a 12% rise compared with the similar period of last year, IRNA reported.
Also known as necessity goods, essential goods are products consumers will buy, regardless of changes in income levels.
Imam Khomeini Port in the southern province of Khuzestan Province is the main hub of essential imports. The port boasts 40 wharfs, 140 kilometers of railroads within its premises and the latest loading and unloading facilities.
Most of Iran’s demand for livestock feed raw material and grains are imported through this southern port.
According to the director general of Khuzestan Ports and Maritime Organization, loading and unloading of non-oil and oil-based products in Imam Khomeini Port in the first five months of current fiscal year (March 21-Aug. 22) increased by 20% year-on-year.
A total of 18.46 million tons of non-oil and oil-based goods were loaded and unloaded in the port during the period, of which 11.29 million tons belonged to non-oil goods and the rest (over 7,000 tons) to oil-based products.
More than 6.88 million tons of essential goods were unloaded in the Imam Khomeini Port during the period, registering a 17% growth YOY.
“Imam Khomeini Port Special Economic Zone, with its advanced equipment and an annual capacity of 50 million tons, has an important role in the supply chain and food security of the country,” Adel Daris was also quoted as saying by ISNA.
Stored essential goods in 12 Iranian commercial ports amounted to 4.53 million tons based on the latest figures received from data centers of these northern and southern port on Aug. 25, according to the deputy for economic affairs with the Ports and Maritime Organization.
“These essential goods include wheat, corn, barley, soybeans, rice, sugar, unrefined vegetable oils and oilseeds,” Farhad Montasar Kouhsari was quoted as saying by the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development on Saturday.
The official added that based on figures registered on Aug. 25, there were 3.29 million tons of essential goods stored in the southern Imam Khomeini Port, 441,760 tons in Hormozgan Province’s Shaheed Rajaee Port, 313,169 tons in the northern Mazandaran Province’s Amirabad Port, 175,667 tons in the same province’s Noshahr Port, 143,721 tons in Sistan-Baluchestan Province’s Chabahar Port, 73,490 tons in Gilan Province’s Bandar Anzali Port, 69,664 tons in Mazandaran’s Fereydounkenar Port, 18,063 tons in Gilan’s Astara Port, 584 tons in Khuzestan’s Khorramshahr Port, 123 tons in Shahid Bahonar Port, 70 tons in Hormozgan’s Bandar Lengeh Port and 53 tons in Bushehr Province’s Bushehr Port.
Kouhsari said that on the same day, 18 vessels carrying 417,271 tons of goods had docked at these ports and 26 others with an overall capacity of 1.25 million tons were waiting in port anchorages to unload their cargo.
The Central Bank of Iran has provided more than $7.2 billion at the subsidized rate of 42,000 rials per dollar for the import of essential goods and pharmaceuticals in the first five months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Aug. 22) – twice as much as that of the corresponding period of last year.
Latest statistics by CBI show it has supplied $580 million to import barley; $939 million to oilseeds; $1,408 million to corn; $1,257 million to unprocessed or vegetable oil; $571 to soymeal; $564 million to wheat; and $322 million to import essential items categorized as “others” by the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade and the Agriculture Ministry.
Furthermore, $1,611 million were provided for the Ministry of Health and Medical Education for importing pharmaceuticals and medical equipment during the period.
The provision of subsidized foreign currency at the rate of 42,000 rials per US dollar for importing essential items and pharmaceuticals reached $7,252 million in the five-month period.