TEHRAN – The loading and unloading of goods in the ports of Iran increased by four percent in the previous Iranian calendar year 1402 (ended on March 19), as compared to the same period in a year earlier, the data released by the country’s Transport and Urban Development Ministry showed.

During the mentioned period, loading and unloading operations in the container sector also rose 10 percent year on year to reach 2.614 million TEUs.

Based on the data previously released by the Transport and Urban Development Ministry, the loading and unloading of goods in the ports of Iran rose 17 percent during the Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20, 2023), as compared to the preceding year.

The ministry’s data show that the loading and unloading of goods in the country’s ports reached 152.91 million tons in the mentioned year, while the figure stood at 130.69 million tons in the preceding year.

During the said year, loading and unloading operations in the container sector reached 2.1 million TEUs with a weight of 24.57 million tons, which was 13.5 percent more than the 1.85 million TEUs in the Iranian calendar year 1400, the report said.

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 to ports and more development of them 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.

EF/