Iran’s 21 major ports handled 38.41 million tons of goods in the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 20-July 21) -- down 28.06% compared to same period last year.
According to figures published by the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, non-oil goods accounted for more than 25.15 million tons of the total throughput, which was 34.35% down year-on-year. The remaining 13.26 million tons were oil products, registering 12.06% decline.
Container loading and unloading decreased by 39.7% reaching 425,899 TEUs.
Close to 16.48 million tons of goods were exported and over 10.49 million tons imported, registering a 33.14% and 8.98% decline respectively YOY.
An estimated 842,258 tons of goods were in transit during the same period – down 49.04%.
The 21 ports under PMO review include the southern ports of Abadan, Imam Khomeini, Bushehr, Khorramshahr, Genaveh, Bandar Lengeh, Chavibdeh, Arvandkenar, Charak and Dayyer off the Persian Gulf.
Shahid Rajaee, Shahid Bahonar, Qeshm and Tiab are at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, Jask and Chabahar on the coast of the Oman Sea, plus the northern ports of Fereydounkenar, Noshahr, Astara, Amirabad and Anzali on the Caspian Sea.
More than 139.65 million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded via the ports in the last Iranian year (March 2019-20) to register a rise of 0.17% compared to the year before.
Non-oil goods accounted for more than 95.48 million tons of the total throughput, showing 0.08% year-on-year growth. The remaining 44.16 million tons included oil products, indicating a 0.7% increase YOY.
Almost 69.65 million tons of were exported from the ports under review and more than 31.15 million tons were imported, showing 10.28% and 13.92% growth respectively compared to the same period last year.
Busiest Ports
A total of 17.9 million tons were loaded and unloaded in Hormozgan Province’s Shahid Rajaee Port, registering a 28.6% fall compared to the similar period of last year.
This made Shahid Rajaee the busiest port in the four-month period. Non-oil goods accounted for around 11.35 million tons and oil products more than 9 million tons of the total, showing a 32.17% decline and 7.79% rise 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 trade is conducted via Shahid Rajaee that also accounts for over 85% of all container traffic.
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 Khuzestan Province was the second busiest port handling more than 12.19 million tons. The figure was down 20.15% YOY.
Non-oil goods accounted for 8.9 million tons and oil products for close to 3.29 million tons of the total throughput at Imam Khomeini Port, registering 11.12% and 37.35% fall, respectively.
Imam Khomeini is the main hub of essential goods imports. Also known as necessity goods, essential goods are products consumers will buy, regardless of change in income levels.
According to Adel Deris, director general of Khuzestan Province’s Ports and Maritime Organization, 25.09 million tons of essential goods worth $15.5 billion were imported in the last fiscal year (March 2019-20) to register 20.77% and 17.13% increases in volume and value, respectively, compared with the year before
Imam Khomeini port, Deris told IRNA, has 40 wharfs, 140 kilometers of railroad within its premises. Last year (March 2019-20) 3 million tons of goods moved from this port via 53,000 wagons. Close to 90% of Iran's demand for livestock feed raw material and 79% of grains are imported from this port.
The third busiest port was Qeshm Port, also in the south. A total of 1.62 tons of goods were loaded and unloaded, indicating a 37.01% decline compared to the similar period last year.
Non-oil goods accounted for more than 1.58 million tons and oil products 39,330 tons of the total throughput in Qeshm Port – down 37.25% and 25.56%, respectively, YOY.
Data said 1.25 million passengers used the aforementioned ports – a whopping 81.9% plunge compared to last year’s similar period.
Qeshm is the largest island in Iran. It is located a few kilometers off the southern coast of Persian Gulf, opposite the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir.
The island is home to a 300-square-kilometre free zone and stretches over 135 km long. It has a strategic location off the Strait of Hormuz, 60km from the Omani port of Khasab, and about 180km from the UAE’s Port Rashid.
