TEHRAN- Based on the data released by the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), container operation has increased four percent in the ports of country during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-August 21), as compared to the same period of time in the past year.

According to the mentioned data, 1,079,516 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container goods have been unloaded and loaded in the country's ports in the first five months of this year, while the figure was 1,052,590 TEUs in the first five months of the previous year.

Based on the PMO’s released data, some 94,284,476 tons of goods were loaded and unloaded at the country’s ports in the first five months of the present year.

As reported, during the mentioned five months more than 10.964 million tons of oil products and over 21.291 million tons of non-oil goods were unloaded at the Iranian ports, while the loading of oil products in ports was reported to be 32.132 million tons, and the loading of non-oil goods was 29.896 million tons.

Totally, more than 32.255 million tons of oil- and non-oil goods were unloaded at the Iranian ports in the said five months, and over 62.029 million tons of oil- and non-oil products were loaded.

While Iran is combating the U.S. unilateral sanctions on its economy, the country’s ports as the major gates of exports and imports play a significant role in this battle. This role makes all-out support for ports and their development serious and vital.

Such necessity has led the government to define projects for more development of the ports and also take some measures to encourage investment making in ports, in addition to facilitating the loading and unloading of goods, especially basic commodities, there.

It is worth mentioning that Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization has defined a high number of projects to develop and improve the country’s ports, as the country aims to double the capacity of its ports in five years.

Ports and Maritime Organization has put it on the agenda to attract 300 trillion rials (about $600 million) of investment from the private sector in the country's ports by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (late March 2025).

As reported by the PMO portal, the mentioned investment is going to be used to develop the infrastructure and operational capacity of the country’s ports.

Earlier this month, PMO Head Ali-Akbar Safaei said over the past few years the organization has managed to attract nearly $1.7 billion of foreign and domestic investment in the country’s ports and maritime sector.

Speaking in a press conference on July 10, Safaei said some 620 trillion rials (about $1.24 billion) of domestic investment and $470 million of foreign investment have been attracted in the mentioned sectors.

“The attraction of this amount of private sector investment is significant compared to the total budget of the government in the sea and port sectors,” he said.

According to the official, regarding foreign investment, PMO has signed contracts with five countries including India which has so far invested $120 million in the port sector and $250 million in the rail, roads, and infrastructure sectors.

Referring to the growth of maritime trade in the country, Safaei continued: “Maritime trade increased from 215 million tons in [the Iranian calendar year] 1401 (2022-2023) to 237 million tons last year (ended on March 19, 2024).”

“In the first quarter of the current year, 60 million tons of maritime trade was recorded, which shows a 10 percent growth compared to the same period last year, and even a 70 percent growth was recorded in some parts of the Caspian Sea,” he added.

EF/MA