TEHRAN- The value of exports from Iran’s Astara port has risen 13 percent during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-August 22), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, the director-general of Astara Customs Department announced.

Karim Rasouli said that 336,000 tons of commodities worth $201.718 million has been exported from the port in the mentioned period.

The official also stated that 92,000 tons of goods valued at $45.449 million has been imported to the port in the five-month period of this year, showing 47 percent fall in terms of worth as compared to the same time span of the previous year.

Astara port is 60 hectares and it is the first port of the private sector in Iran. It is the closest and the most cost-effective way for trade and transport between Asia, Africa, and Europe. It has been designed for loading and unloading 2,500-ton freighters.

Located by the Caspian Sea, Astara has sea, land, and railway borders points with the Azerbaijan Republic.

Even during the coronavirus outbreak, the port is considered one of the main points for Iran’s export and import.

Managing Director of Khazar Shipping Company has recently said that Astara Port, located by the Caspian Sea, has become a new hub for container shipping in the region following the launch of new shipping services from this port.

Mentioning the establishment of regular container transportation services from Astara port to Aktau port of Kazakhstan and Astrakhan in Russia, Davood Tafti said: "According to the plans, two regular transportation services will operate on this route weekly, one service from Astara to Aktau port and the other service is done from Anzali- Astara route to Aktau port.”

Emphasizing that the launch of these regular services has created a competitive environment between road and sea transport, Tafti continued: "One of the most important effects of launching a regular container shipping service between Astara and the ports of Aktau and Astrakhan is reducing land transportation rates and breaking the monopoly of land transportation so that as soon as the news of the activation of these regular container shipping services was announced, the road transportation rate in the region decreased to one thousand dollars.”

“Breaking the monopoly means reducing costs and increasing the options of traders, exporters and cargo owners,” he added.

As announced by the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), the value of Iran’s non-oil trade rose 38 percent during the first five months of the current year, as compared to the same period of time in the past year.

Mehdi Mir-Ashrafi said that Iran has traded 59.3 million tons of non-oil products worth $34 billion with other countries in the mentioned period, which indicates also 14 percent growth in terms of weight on an annual basis.

The official put the five-month non-oil exports at 45.5 million tons valued at $17.661 billion, with a 63 percent rise in value and 20 percent growth in weight.

The IRICA head mentioned methanol, natural gas, polyethylene, semi-finished iron products, iron ingots, gasoline, liquefied propane, iron rods, urea, and bitumen as the main exported products in the said time span.

He said major export destinations of the Iranian non-oil goods were China with about 12.3 million tons worth $5.9 billion, Iraq with 12 million tons worth $3.163 billion, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with five million tons worth $1.9 billion, Turkey with 1.375 million tons worth $1.1 billion, and Afghanistan with 2.165 million tons worth $885 million.

The official further announced that Iran has imported 13.8 million tons of non-oil commodities worth $16.631 billion in the first five months of the present year, with a 21 percent growth in value and a 0.5 percent fall in weight year on year.

According to the official, the country’s trade balance was over $1 billion positive in the mentioned five months.

Mir-Ashrafi named cellphones, livestock corn, sunflower oil, barley, meal, wheat, soybeans, sugar, and rice as the main imported commodities.

The United Arab Emirates with 4.436 million tons of goods worth $5.391 billion was the top exporter to Iran in the said period, followed by China with 1.1 million tons of goods worth $3.6 billion, Turkey with 1.578 million tons worth $1.8 billion, Germany with 431,000 tons worth $668 million, and Switzerland with 692,000 tons worth $572 million, the official stated.

The official also noted that over 4.727 million tons of goods were transited through Iran in the said period, registering a 95-percent rise compared to the same period in the previous year.

MA/MA