TEHRAN – The loading and unloading of goods in the ports of Iran increased by seven percent in the first six months of the present Iranian calendar year (March 20-September 21), as compared to the same period of time in the past year.

As the country’s Transport and Urban Development Ministry reported, 81 million tons of commodities were loaded and unloaded in the ports in the first half of the current Iranian year while the figure was 76 million tons in the first half of the previous year, IRNA reported.

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.

Back in July, 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, 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.

On September 30, Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said that the initial draft of the country’s Maritime-oriented Development Plan has been prepared by the government.

The 14th government is determined to formulate and implement additional and more comprehensive plans and programs in the field of sea-oriented development,” Aref stated.

The Vice President also congratulated the World Maritime Day to the members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in a message published by IRNA.

“Since the beginning of human creation, the sea has always been the field of communication and the platform for development and civilization. Those countries that have access to the sea have the potential to become powerful in various regional and global arenas, as well as the ability to develop faster. In any country, having access to the sea is a great opportunity for progress and maintaining national interests,” he said in his message.

Aref has also called on the Iranian authorities in charge of the country’s maritime sector to strengthen logistics and corridor routes, facilitate entering new markets, use smart technologies, strengthen employment, create large and small-scale production units in ports and coastal areas, modernize the commercial fleet and port equipment as well as the railway and road lines, and train responsible and efficient workforces for sea-oriented development while preserving and safeguarding the marine environment in compliance with international regulations and conventions.

He also emphasized the necessity for the country’s scholars and think tanks to help the government realize its plans for developing the maritime sector.

PMO Head Ali-Akbar Safaei also congratulated the World Maritime Day in a separate message.

In his message, Safaei mentioned the IMO’s world maritime theme 2024 which is "Navigating the future: safety first!" and said: “The International Maritime Organization has once again emphasized providing safety and the necessity of maritime security by choosing the slogan "Navigating the future: safety first!" for 2024; since its formation, this organization has always expressed concerns about protecting the marine environment against pollution caused by shipping in the framework of the International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution (MARPOL).”

MA