More than 1.59 million tons of commodities were transited through Iran’s 32 land and sea borders during the first two months of the current Iranian year (March 21-May 21) to register an 11% rise compared with the similar period of last year, the director general of Transits and International Affairs Bureau with Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization announced.
"Close to 1.05 million tons pertain to non-oil products, mainly auto spare parts, cotton, agricultural products and foodstuff," Reza Nafisi was also quoted as saying by the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.
The most active border crossing was Shahid Rajaee Port at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz in the southern Hormozgan Province with around 459,000 tons, accounting for 28.8% of all the transit volume.
Over half of Iran’s commercial trading is carried out through Shahid Rajaee. The port complex also accounts for over 85% of all container throughput in the country.
"A total of 13.27 million tons of oil and non-oil commodities were loaded and unloaded in Shahid Rajaee Port during the same period," Allahmorad Afifipour, director general of Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Organization, said.
More than 8.94 million tons were non-oil products. Over the two-month period, 6.66 million tons of non-oil goods were exported via this southern port, registering a 13% rise compared with the corresponding period of last year.
Exports of oil products saw a 21% increase year-on-year. Container loading and unloading stood at 380,351 TEUs as 654 vessels, 558 of which weighed over 1,000 tons, docked at the port during the two months, indicating a 5% increase YOY.
President Hassan Rouhani broke ground on Phase 3 of Shahid Rajaee (Container Terminal Number 3) in February.
According to Mohammad Rastad, the head of Ports and Maritime Organization, upon the completion of the terminal within three years, the port’s capacity will increase to 8 million TEU. He added that more than $200 million will be invested in improving the infrastructure of the port.
Following Shahid Rajaee were the border crossings of Parvizkhan in Kermanshah Province and Bazargan in West Azarbaijan Province, accounting for 20.7% and 9.4% of the overall transit volume respectively.
