TEHRAN- Basic commodities unloading in the ports of Iran rose 11 percent in the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-April 20), as compared to the first month of the past year, Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) has announced.

As announced by the PMO, 2.175 million tons of basic commodities were unloaded in the ports in the first month of this year, while the figure was 1.968 million tons in the first month of the previous year.

Iran imported 30.9 million tons of basic goods in the past Iranian calendar year 1400 (ended on March 20), an official with the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) told ISNA.

Foroud Asgari, the deputy head of IRICA for customs affairs, said that the imported goods were in 25 commodity groups.

Putting the value of the imported basic commodities at $19.6 billion in the past year, the official said that the imports show a 60-percent rise in worth and 32-percent growth in weight, as compared to the Iranian calendar year 1399.

MA/MA