A total of 14.92 million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded at Imam Khomeini Port in Khuzestan Province in the first four months of the current Iranian year (March 21-July 22), according to the director general of the southern province’s Ports and Maritime Organization.
“Loading and unloading of non-oil products stood at 8.78 million tons as those of oil products hit 6.14 million tons,” Behrouz Aqaei was also quoted as saying by the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.
The official added that 82 vessels carried nearly 5.14 million tons of essential goods, including different kinds of grains, edible vegetable oils, agriculture raw material and animal feed, to the southern port during the period.
“Around 4.74 million tons of these goods have so far been transported to different provinces and as we speak, more than 2.4 million tons of these products are stored in the warehouses of ports,” he said.
Also known as necessity or basic goods, essential goods are products like rice, vegetable oils, sugar, tea, grains and pulses that consumers will buy, regardless of changes in income levels.
A total of 7.66 million tons of essential goods were unloaded at Iran’s southern and northern ports during the four months to July 22, according to the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.
The unloaded volume included 2.71 million tons of wheat, registering a 181% growth compared with the similar period of last year, 2.58 million tons of corn with no significant year-on-year change and 1 million tons of soymeal, registering a 9% YOY rise.
The unloading of unrefined vegetable oil, barley and unrefined sugar stood at 336,153 tons, 287,100 tons and 249,267 tons respectively, ILNA reported.
Imam Khomeini Port in Khuzestan Province, Amirabad Port in Mazandaran Province and Shahid Rajaee Port in Hormozgan Province handled the highest volume of essential goods during the period in a descending order.
Last year (March 2021-22), 30.9 million tons of essential goods worth $19.6 billion were imported, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, registering a 32% and 60% rise in weight and value compared with the year before.
Imam Khomeini in Khuzestan Province is the main port of entry for essential goods.
The lion’s share of the country’s demand for livestock feed raw material and grains are imported through this southern port.
Overall, Imam Khomeini is Iran’s second busiest port after Shahid Rajaee in Hormozgan Province. It boasts 40 wharfs, 140 kilometers of railroads within its premises and the latest loading and unloading facilities.
