Over 7m Tons of Essential Goods Awaiting Customs Clearance

More than 7 million tons of essential goods have piled up in the ports and customs offices across the country, says deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, Mehrdad Jamal Orounaqi.
Also known as necessity goods, essential goods are products consumers will buy, regardless of changes in income levels.
These goods are entitled to foreign currency at a subsidized rate of 42,000 rials per US dollar for their imports.
The official added that 1.4 million tons of commodities remain on board vessels docked at Iran’s southern and northern ports for the past one month.
“IRICA needs permits from different bodies, like the ministries of agriculture; industries, mining and trade; and the Central Bank of Iran before it is able to allow the clearance of imported goods. We have not yet received the documents for these consignments.”
IRICA chief, Mehdi Mirashrafi, told ILNA earlier this month that with the measures recently taken by the government, clearance procedures have stepped up and reached around 100,000 tons per day from the previous 50,000 tons.
“A total of 6.1 million tons of essential goods worth $3.7 billion have undergone clearance at Iran’s customs terminals since the beginning of the current Iranian year on March 21,” he added.
According to the deputy head of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, Farhad Montasar Kouhsari, the volume of freight loading and unloading in Iranian ports hit 44.9 million tons during the first three months of the current Iranian year (March 21-June 21), indicating a 7% rise compared with the similar period of last year.
“This growth has come about under severe economic sanctions as well as Covid-19 restrictions on trade and marine transport,” the official was quoted as saying by ILNA.
Oil throughput, he added, stood at 21 million tons, showing a YOY increase of 17%.
The official noted that container throughput saw a meager 1% rise to 536 TEUs in Q1 against 534,000 TEUs in last year’s corresponding period.
He added that PMO has taken measures to speed up clearance procedures in ports so that storage facilities can be put to more effective use.
Boasting 40 wharfs, 140 kilometers of railroads within its premises and equipped with the latest loading and unloading facilities, Imam Khomeini Port in southwest Iran is the hub of essential goods imports.
Close to 90% of Iran’s demand for livestock feed raw material as well as 80% of grains are imported through this southern port.
In the fiscal 2019-20, the port handled nearly 15.7 million tons of essential goods.
A total of 4.14 tons of essential goods have been unloaded in the southern Khuzestan Province’s Imam Khomeini Port since the beginning of the current Iranian year on March 21, showing a 3% rise compared with the similar period of last year, the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development reported recently.
These commodities, which included wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar, soya, rice and vegetable oils, were carried to the southern port via 73 vessels.
During the same period, more than 3.62 million tons of such goods were transported inland from the port, of which over 3.24 million tons were carried by trucks and 379,000 tons by rail.  
Imam Khomeini Port saw the inauguration and sod-turning ceremonies for 18 investment and development projects worth 15.79 trillion rials ($63 million) in late 2020.
The event was attended by Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami and CEO of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran Mohammad Rastad, Fars News Agency reported.
Among the most important inaugurated projects were four multipurpose warehouses, oil product reservoirs and a mechanized grain terminal.
Also, two projects for the construction of edible oil refineries were started on the same day.
Other projects included the overhaul of some of the wharfs and railroads inside Imam Khomeini Port’s premises, dredging operations, fixing breakwaters and providing proper lighting for the port’s launchers.  
The Central Bank of Iran has supplied $5,542 million in subsidized foreign currency at the rate of 42,000 rials per US dollar for importing essential goods since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21).
Latest data released by CBI show it has procured $1,218 million for the import of corn; $883 million for oilseeds; $580 million for barley; $1,097 million for unprocessed vegetable oil; $483 million for soymeal; $225 million for wheat and $130 million for other essential goods.
A total of $926 million were also provided for the Health Ministry for import of pharmaceuticals and their raw materials over the period.  
As per the decision of the Economic Headquarters of the government, a total of $6 billion at the rate of 42,000 rials per US dollar are to be allocated for the supply of essential goods during the first half of the current fiscal year (March 2021-22).
Of the total sum, $4.5 billion will be offered to import corn, oilseeds, unprocessed vegetable oil, soymeal, barley and wheat, and $1.5 billion to import pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.