A total of 51 million tons of commodities were loaded and unloaded at Iran’s commercial ports in the first three months of the current Iranian year (March 21-June 21), registering a 7% rise compared with the similar period of last year, latest figures released by the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran show.
The unloading of oil and non-oil products stood at 6.52 million tons and 12.13 million tons respectively.
The total unloading volume hit 18.66 million tons in Q1, registering a 10% year-on-year increase, the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development reported.
Around 18.92 million tons of oil products and 14.07 million tons of non-oil goods were loaded during the same period.
Total loading volume stood at 33.92 million tons, showing a 5% YOY rise.
Q1 container throughput stood at 622,524 TEUs, indicating a 12% YOY rise.
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 Haqqani, 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.
Q1 container throughput stood at 622,524 TEUs, indicating a 12% YOY rise
Iran’s 22 commercial ports handled 152.91 million tons of goods (loading and unloading) in the last Iranian year that ended on March 20, 2022, registering a 17% growth in throughput compared with the year before, according to the Resource Planning and Management Department of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran show.
Container throughput stood at 2.1 million TEUs during the period, registering a 13.5% year-on-year increase.
Around 46.89 million tons of dry bulk cargo, 3.76 million tons of liquid bulk cargo and 21.83 million tons of general cargo were handled during the period, registering a 12.8%, 12.6% and 13.1% rise compared with the previous year respectively.
Shahid Rajaee Special Economic Zone, located in the southern Hormozgan Province, accounts for the highest share of all goods exported from and imported to Iran.
The economic zone, which has a loading/unloading capacity of 100 million tons per year, accounts for over half of Iran's trade and about two-thirds of total freight transit through the country.
The lion’s share of Iran's containers are handled at the Shahid Rajaee Port Complex.
With 18 gantry cranes and 40 berths, Rajaee is the most advanced container port of Iran.
Launched in 1985, the port has expanded every year and is connected to 80 ports worldwide.
The significance of this port lies in its large capacity, including its location in the Persian Gulf, container terminal, fuel bunkering, access to 24 kilometers of railroads and round-the-clock truck transportation.
In terms of transit, again Shahid Rajaee Special Economic Zone tops the list of Iranian customs terminals.
According to PMO, a total of 20.14 million tons of essential goods were imported through sea ports last year.
Also known as necessity or basic goods, essential goods are products consumers will buy, regardless of changes in income levels.
Imam Khomeini in the southern Khuzestan Province with 12.59 million tons topped the list of ports of entry for essential goods. These goods included 7.71 million tons of corn, 2.95 million tons of wheat, 1.32 million tons of barley and 607,021 tons of sugar.
The lion’s share of the country’s demand for livestock feed raw material and grains are imported through this southern port. Imam Khomeini is Iran’s second busiest port after Shahid Rajaee in Hormozgan Province.
The port boasts 40 wharfs, 140 kilometers of railroads within its premises and equipped with the latest loading and unloading facilities.
Shahid Rajaee Port came next with 2.61 million tons of essential goods imports, including 1.58 million tons of wheat, 400,919 tons of sugar, 340,459 tons of corn, 200,550 tons of barley and 93,942 tons of rice.
Third was Sistan-Baluchestan Province’s Chabahar Port with 2.04 million tons of imports, including 1.13 million tons of wheat, 396,230 tons of barley, 334,102 tons of corn, 148,806 tons of rice and 27,100 tons of sugar.
