Reports show port activities in Iran grow by 2.2%

CEO of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Ali Akbar Safaei said on Saturday that loading and unloading at Iranian ports had increased by 2.2% in the year to March 20 compared to the same previous period to reach 82 million metric tons.

Safaei said the rise had taken place despite a fall reported in Iran’s imports of basic goods over the past calendar year.

He said container loading and unloading at Iranian ports had also increased by 5% last calendar year compared to year to late March 2022.

Exports from Iran had accounted for 70% of the total ports activity in the country in the year to late March, said the PMO chief, adding that passenger traffic in the ports had also increased by 8% year on year over the same period.

Transit via Iranian ports rose by 39% over the last Iranian year, said Safaei, adding that transit via ports on the Caspian Sea in northern Iran had increased significantly over the period thanks to a surge in shipments arriving from Russia and Europe.

The official said Iran is spending heavily to expand its ports infrastructure, adding that the government has some 530 trillion rials ($1.1 billion) worth of ongoing projects in ports and coastal regions of the country.

On shipbuilding, Safaei said the Iranian government has spent nearly $1 billion on the purchase or manufacturing of large ocean vessels.