Iran's trade (excluding crude oil exports) with Caspian Sea littoral states reached 7.91 million tons worth $3.48 billion in the fiscal 2021-22 (ended March 20), according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.
Russia was Iran’s main trading partner among Caspian states with 4.92 million tons worth $2.24 billion during the period under review. It was followed by Azerbaijan Republic with 851,731 tons worth $607.76 million, Turkmenistan with 1.41 million tons worth $368.44 million and Kazakhstan with 728,675 tons worth $266.04 million.
Iran’s exports hit 3.84 million tons worth $1.67 billion.
Russia was Iran’s biggest export destination with 1.14 million tons worth $578.52 million, followed by Azerbaijan with 828,932 tons worth $565.19 million, Turkmenistan with 1.36 million tons worth $335.13 million and Kazakhstan with 511,701 tons worth $187.18 million.
Imports from the four countries under review hit 4.06 million tons worth $1.82 billion.
Again, Russia was the top exporter to Iran with 3.78 million tons worth $1.66 billion. It was followed by Kazakhstan with 216,974 tons worth $77.86 million, Azerbaijan with 22,799 tons worth $42.57 million and Turkmenistan with 43,994 tons worth $33.31 million.
Non-oil trade with Caspian states hit 6.24 million tons worth $2 billion in the fiscal 2020-21.
Iran, Russia Bolster Economic Ties
Iran and Russia started a big trade conference in Moscow last month to discuss stepped-up future cooperation.
As many as 70 Iranian companies and 250 Russian companies attended the conference, Mehr News Agency reported.
Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali and some other Iranian diplomats also attended the first day of the event.
According to IRIB News, the conference was largely participated by Russian big holdings and influential businesspeople.
The Iranian ambassador to Moscow said more than 300 Russian merchants were present in the conference on Wednesday, while many others in provinces across Russia were following the seminar virtually.
Jalali said the event indicates that Iran and Russia will witness a leap in bilateral relations.
Another conference was held between the two sides at the venue of Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Moscow on Thursday with the participation of representatives of more than 350 Iranian and Russian companies, according to Mehr News Agency.
The Iranian ambassador, the head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, Alireza Peymanpak, and President of Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin delivered lectures regarding the capacities of economic and trade cooperation between Iran and Russia.
Representatives of 70 Iranian and 300 Russian companies in nine sectors, including industry, technology, petrochemicals, medicine and food, held face-to-face business meetings and negotiated with each other.
The Iranian delegation arrived in the Russian capital on Monday to boost trade relations and hold economic talks with Russia.
The delegation is from cement, aquaculture, food, bags and shoes, clothing, medical equipment and pharmaceutical sectors.
The two sides signed an agreement to host more joint trade events and exhibitions to expand commercial and investment ties, IRIB reported.
The Iranian delegation met Russian counterparts at the expo center in Moscow on Thursday.
The meeting comes as the US and Europe are ratcheting up sanctions on Russia’s economy over the conflict in Ukraine.
Northern Ports’ Potential Untapped
Poor export infrastructures and lack of adequate equipment are to blame for the low shipping traffic of northern Iranian ports and freight forwarding companies, as well as traders’ reluctance to use their services, Ali Chagharvand, director of Plan Management, Planning and Monitoring Department of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, wrote for Tasnim News Agency.
"Traders and transportation companies do not avail themselves of the numerous advantages of Iran’s northern ports that are in recession. Economic players believe that they are uneconomical. This is while by removing obstacles, freight transportation and trade through northern ports can become a viable alternative to other transit routes and even southern ports,” he said.
“In the last fiscal year [ended March 20, 2021], a meager 5-6 tons of the 30 million-ton capacity of northern ports were used, as demand for their services has declined in recent years.”
According to the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, northern ports, such as Anzali, Nowshahr, Fereydounkenar and Astara, do not account for a significant share of the country’s loading and unloading operations. Nowshahr Port has considerable advantages, including its proximity to the capital city and major commercial and industrial centers, easy access to the consumer markets of Central Asia and Eastern Europe, access to the airport, availability of facilities for storage and movement of commercial goods, petroleum products and solid bulk, having exclusive warehouses and special facilities for export and transit, as well as direct connection through pipelines to Chalous oil reservoirs. However, due to many reasons, the port’s shipping traffic is even lower than that of Amirabad Port.
A total of 4 million tons and 4.5 million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded, respectively, at the southern ports of Imam Khomeini and Shahid Rajaee during the month ending Nov. 21.
Among the northern ports, the highest throughput was registered by Amirabad Port with only 260,000 tons of goods while the share of Nowshahr Port was lower than 50,000 tons during the period under review.
