Non-Oil Exports from Iranian Ports Increase by 4 Percent: Official

Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and the Managing Director of Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, Mohammad Rastad, said on Wednesday that 52.5 million tonness of non-oil products were exported from the ports of the country in the past Iranian year.

He added that 34 million tonnes of non-oil products were also imported, showing a growth of 27%.

Last year, over 150 million tonnes of goods were unloaded in the country’s ports, which shows a 9% rise in comparison with a year earlier, he noted.

The deputy minister made the comments in a meeting with First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri and Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami on Wednesday.

“The most difficult process in the shipping chain is the entry and exit of the ship, Rastad said.

“Fortunately, in this case, in a port like Bandar-e Imam, the unloading and loading of a ship with 70,000 tonnes of basic goods was carried out round the clock, and by unloading 8,000 tonnes every 24 hours, these ships were unloaded within a maximum of eight days,” he explained.

He also mentioned that some equipment that were previously manufactured and produced by the foreign companies, such as container cranes, are now built inside the country, saving about 20 million euros.

Referring to Jahangiri’s visit to Shahid Rajaei Port, Rastad said the third phase of Shahid Rajaei Port is an important and strategic project that can increase the container capacity of the port from 6.3 million TEU to 8 million TEU.

“In this regard, we plan to bring at least 900 metres of the 1,400-metre pier in this project into operation and add it to the infrastructure of this port. We are also trying to bring into operation three piers for loading oil and oil products this year in Shahid Rajaei port, which can add 30 million tonnes to the country’s oil production capacity.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rastad said another significant measure taken by the Ports and Maritime Organisation of Iran was to repeatedly isolate the United States and discuss its illegal actions against the Maritime Organisation’s conventions.

He also referred to the infrastructural works carried out on the country’s coasts, saying that among these moves, the integrated management of the country’s coasts is a strategic plan.

In the end, Rastad said the issue of multifaceted transportation, which is strongly emphasised by the minister, is one of the issues that is being seriously pursued by the Ports and Maritime Organisation.

“That is why we have increased the share of railways in ports in an unprecedented move, and this programme will definitely continue,” he concluded.