The unloading of essential goods at Iranian ports of entry reached 2.17 million tons during the first month of the current Iranian year (March 21-April 21), registering an 11% rise compared with the similar period of last year, according to figures released by the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran.
Also known as necessity or basic goods, essential goods are products consumers will buy, regardless of changes in income levels.
A total of 996,670 tons of field corn were imported, registering an 81% year-on-year growth, PMO wrote on its website.
Wheat imports stood at 815,321 tons, registering a whopping 180% rise compared with the corresponding period of last year.
The import of soybean, unprocessed vegetable oil and barley stood at 194,117 tons, 111,586 tons and 43,138 tons respectively.
A total of 14,945 tons of rice were unloaded during the period under review, showing a twofold year-on-year increase.
Overall, close to 12.08 million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded in Iran’s 22 commercial ports during the same one-month period, indicating a 5% YOY rise.
More than 8.02 million tons of the total sum pertained to non-oil goods and the remaining 4.05 million tons to oil products, experiencing a 13% rise and an 8% decline respectively YOY.
The loading of non-oil goods stood at 3.96 million tons and that of oil products reached 2.06 million tons during the same period.
The unloading of non-oil goods amounted to 4.06 million tons and the figure for oil products stood at 1.99 million tons.
Container throughput stood at 168,014 TEUs, indicating a 5% rise compared with the similar period of last year.
The 22 ports under study include Iran’s southern ports of Abadan, Imam Khomeini, Bushehr, Khorramshahr, Genaveh, Bandar Lengeh, Chavibdeh, Arvandkenar, Charak and Dayyer located on the shores of the Persian Gulf, Shahid Rajaee, Shahid Bahonar, Shahid Haqani, Qeshm and Tiab at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, Jask and Chabahar on the coasts of the Sea of Oman and the northern ports of Fereydounkenar, Noshahr, Astara, Amirabad and Anzali on the Caspian Sea shoreline.
