Transit of goods through the country’s borders exceeded 12.34 million metric tons in the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20), indicating a 6.5 percent increase compared with the previous year, head of Iran’s Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization (IRMTO) Transit and Cross-Border Terminals Department, Mohammad-Javad Atrchian announced.
Oil-based products comprised 5.58 million tons of the total transit goods, while non-oil products accounted for 6.7 million tons, IRNA quoted Atrchian as saying. He added that chemical compounds, different types of cotton, home appliances and construction materials comprised the majority of non-oil transit goods during the period.
Bandar Abbas with 3.28 million or 26.6 percent was the most active border in importing transit goods, followed by Parviz Khan, Bashmakh, Bazargan and Lotfabad border crossings.
Imam Khomeini port ranked first in terms of transit goods’ export, accounting for 4.132 million tons or 33.5 percent of total exported transit goods; while Bandar Abbas, Lotfabad and Sarakhs borders were the other major export transit hubs.
The heaviest transit cargo truck traffic was recorded from Iraq heading to the United Arab Emirate (UAE); making the route from Parviz Khan border-crossing in Kurdistan Province to Imam Khomeini port in Khuzestan Province the most crowded truck transit route.
Atrchian also noted that of the total 561,000 truck transit trips through the country during the period, 354,000 or 63 percent was carried out by the Iranian trucks, 55,000 or 10 percent by the Turkish trucks and 131,000 or 34 percent by other countries.
“Iran can turn into the transit hub of the region due to its strategic and unique geographical location,” said the official, underlining the importance of improving the country’s infrastructure and cooperation among various organizations and the private sector in facilitating transit of goods.
