TEHRAN – Transportation of basic goods via Iran’s railway network has increased 150 percent in the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21) compared to the figure for the same quarter last year, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI) said.

According to Seyed Miad Salehi, following a memorandum of understanding signed with the Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry, the railway network has become the priority for the transportation of basic goods across the country, Mehr News Agency reported.

Last week, the director-general of the cargo transportation department of the Road Maintenance Organization announced that more than 5.5 million tons of basic commodities were transported from eight port cities of the country to the designated destinations during the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year.

This amount of basic goods was loaded from eight ports of Imam Khomeini, Shahid Rajaei, Chabahar, Amirabad, Fereydoun-Kanar, Nowshahr, Anzali, and Bushehr, and transported to the desired destinations in the country, Mehrdad Hamdollahi said, adding, “According to the statistics of loading of basic goods from the country's ports, Imam Khomeini port ranks first with the issuance of 132,000 bills of lading and the loading of 3.277 million tons of commodities.”

Shahid Rajaei port with 899,000 tons, Chabahar port with 516,000 tons, Amirabad port with 338,000 tons, and Anzali port with 182,000 tons are in the next ranks respectively, the official added.

As announced by the deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), 30.9 million tons of basic goods worth $19.6 billion were cleared from the customs in the past Iranian calendar year 1400.

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.

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