Two Chinese investments worth ¥8.75 million ($1.36 million) are to be made in one of Bushehr Province’s industrial parks in the current Iranian year (started March 21), according to the director general of Economic and Financial Affairs Bureau with the southern province’s Governorate.
“These investments will be made in the fields of electronic board and LED bulb production,” Rasoul Zarei was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
The official noted that after these projects are launched, they will create 20 direct and 126 indirect jobs for the locals.
“Over the last three years [2018-20], a total of $515 million worth of foreign investments were made in Bushehr. Methanol production in Marjan Petrochemical Company, funded by German investors, tops the list of projects in which the most investments were made over the period,” he said.
A total of 1.13 trillion rials ($5 million) worth of investments were made in Bushehr Province’s industrial parks and zones during the first nine months of the last Iranian year (March 20-Dec. 20, 2020), registering a 530% surge compared with the similar period of the year before.
“The investments were made in 31 production firms, which created a total of 380 jobs in the southern province. The figures register a YOY increase of 240% and 300% respectively,” Mehdi Safavi, the CEO of Bushehr Industrial Parks Company, was quoted as saying by IRNA.
At present, 12 industrial parks and eight industrial zones are operating in Bushehr Province.
Exports via the southern Bushehr Province during the nine months under review stood at 18.95 million tons worth $4.36 billion.
According to Ahmad Rajaei, a local official, petrochemicals were the main exported product from Bushehr with 15.15 million tons worth $4.04 billion.
Industrial, mining and agricultural products worth $161 million were exported during the period.
“Pars Special Economic Energy Zone in the port city of Asalouyeh, accounted for the lion’s share of exports from Bushehr. It was followed by Bushehr Port, Bandar Kangan and Bandar Dayyer. Major export products were butane, propane, methanol, polyethylene, urea, styrene, gas condensates and cement,” Rajaei was quoted as saying by IRNA.
China with $2.92 billion, the UAE with $493 million and Turkey with $173 million, as well as Singapore, Qatar, India, Afghanistan and Brazil were the top export destinations during the nine-month period.
“A total of 195,000 tons of province’s exports from Bandar Dayyer, mostly agricultural products, headed for Qatar. They were worth $56 million, i.e., 6% more than the corresponding period of last year in terms of volume,” he added.
Stating that nine-month exports from Bushehr’s customs were down 1% in terms of weight over last year’s similar period, the official said Bushehr is facing infrastructural challenges when it comes to exports.
“The completion of Shiraz-Bushehr Highway, construction of railroad and creation of sea routes between Bushehr and Qatar would have a significant impact on increasing exports from the province,” he said.
“Among other serious challenges in the way of exports are shortage of refrigerated containers and high costs of transportation, as well as restrictions placed by trade partners following the outbreak of coronavirus.”
Rajaei noted that 7.32 million tons of non-oil goods worth $1.89 billion were exported from the province in the third quarter of the current year (Sept. 22-Dec. 20, 2020).
Port Capacity at 7m Tons p.a.
The dredging of inner and outer channels of the southern port of Bushehr was completed recently.
The 1.9 trillion-rial ($8 million) project, which deepens the channels to 10.8 meters, will allow for 30,000-ton deadweight ships to dock at the terminal.
“About 5.75 million cubic meters of sediments and debris have been dredged from the channels over 20 months,” Mohammad Rastad, the head of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, said recently.
“Before the completion of this project, Bushehr Port could only accommodate ships with up to 15,000 tons of cargo capacity.”
Bushehr is one of the important ports in Persian Gulf, which has an international airport and highways that connect the city to Ahvaz to the northwest and Shiraz to the northeast. A secondary coastal road links Bushehr to Bandar Abbas to the southeast.
The southern port of Bushehr has the capacity to handle more than 7 million tons of goods per year and can host vessels weighing over 30,000 tons.
A total of 650,000 tons of goods were loaded and unloaded in the southern Bushehr Province during the first two months of the current Iranian year (March 21-May 21), showing a twofold increase compared with the similar period of last year, according to the director general of Bushehr’s Ports and Maritime Organization.
“Mineral products and essential goods accounted for the lion’s share of exports and imports during the period under review,” Siavash Arjomandzadeh was also quoted as saying by the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.
The official noted that a vessel with a capacity of 31,000 tons, carrying rice, recently berthed at the port.
Iran’s total foreign trade stood at 145.7 million tons worth $73 billion over the last Iranian year (March 2020-21), of which 25.05 million tons worth $8.42 billion were carried out via Bushehr Province’s customs terminals.
“Bushehr Province’s customs had a 16.6% [about one-sixth] and 11% share in weight and value of Iran’s overall foreign trade during the period respectively,” Behrouz Qarehbeygi, director general of Bushehr Customs Administration, was quoted as saying by IRNA.
The official noted that more than 24.56 million tons of goods were exported from Bushehr’s Customs Administration and some 482,000 tons were imported in return over the period.
The exports mainly included petrochemicals, gas condensates and mineral products that headed to China, the UAE, Turkey, Pakistan, Singapore, Qatar, India, Brazil, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Imports mostly included banana, auto tires and spare parts, fabric, fittings, industrial faucets and batteries that came from China, the UAE, India, the Philippines, Ecuador, Germany, Russia, Italy, South Korea and Spain.
According to the head of Bushehr Ports and Maritime Organization, a total of 45 million tons of commodities were loaded and unloaded at Bushehr Province’s ports last year.
“Oil and non-oil products accounted for 34.19 million tons and 10.36 million tons of the total sum respectively,” Arjomandzadeh said, adding that container loading and unloading in southern Bushehr ports reached 209,847 TEUs.
“Some 6,552 vessels entered the province’s ports, 1,850 of which weighed over 1,000 tons. About 237,000 passengers were transported through these ports, 118,000 of whom were incoming and 119,000 were outgoing,” he added.
