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 current Iranian year (March 20-Dec. 20, 2020), registering a 530% upsurge compared with the similar period of last year.
“The investments were made in 31 production firms, which together created around 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, there are 12 industrial parks and eight industrial zones operating in Bushehr Province.
Exports via the southern Bushehr Province during 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 Asaluyeh, 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 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 the challenges of infrastructure 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.”
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, he added.
Rajaei noted that a total of 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).
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 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.
