TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran has imported more than 2.2 million tons of basic goods since March 20, said the deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) on Monday.
Talking to IRNA, Mehrdad Jamal-Orunaqi put the amount of non-container basic commodities deposited at the country’s major ports at over 4.2 million tons for the time being and said that 736,000 tons of those goods are currently being unloaded.
Iran’s import of basic goods has risen by 2.5-fold in the past Iranian year (ended March 19), according to an official with Government Trading Corporation (GTC) of Iran.
Amir Talebi, the acting director of GTC’s foreign trade department, said last year most of the basic commodities imported via ports were unloaded directly from vessels to the trains which reduced the cost and time of transportation significantly.
“Our duty is supplying the basic goods required in the country and to do so we are constantly monitoring and investigating the markets to purchase these goods in the best condition,” Talebi noted.
The official said that over two million tons of rice, oil, and sugar have been imported to the country in the past year, some of which have been distributed and some have been stored.
Last month, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI) Saeed Rasouli announced that the transit of basic goods to the ports via railway network during March 20-April 19 was tripled compared to the figure for the same month last year.
“The direct transport of goods from ship to train, which took place in the country’s ports after 15 years, plays an important role in increasing the speed of cargo transportation and reducing the costs,” the official highlighted.
- source : Iran Daily, Irannews
