TEHRAN – Handling of basic commodities at Iran’s ports rose 12.4 percent year on year in the eighth Iranian calendar month of Aban (late October-late November), according to data released by the Ports and Maritime Organization.

State media reported that total loading and unloading of basic goods reached 2.91 million tons in the mentioned month, up from 2.58 million tons in the same month last year.

The data showed mixed performance across other cargo categories. Handling of metal goods fell 3.6 percent, while building materials rose 22.4 percent and machinery increased 15.3 percent.

Throughput of chemical fertilizers declined 12.7 percent, while leather and textile cargoes fell 3.0 percent.

General and miscellaneous cargo recorded a sharp rise of 225.5 percent, while containerized cargo handling increased 14.9 percent year on year.

In contrast, loading and unloading of oil products dropped 25.5 percent compared with last year’s same month.

Overall, total cargo handled at Iran’s northern and southern ports amounted to 13.86 million tons, marking a 1.2 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, the data showed.

EF/MA