TEHRAN – Loading and unloading of goods in the ports of Iran increased three percent in the first five months of the present Iranian calendar year (March 21-August 22), as compared to the same period of time in the past year, the country’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) announced.As the PMO reported, 62,865,288 tons of commodities were loaded and unloaded in the ports during the five-month period.The five-month loading and unloading of oil products stood at 23,289,283 tons, with a four percent growth, and that of the non-oil goods stood at 39,576,005 tons, with a three percent rise year on year.During the said period, loading and unloading operations in the container sector reached 977,582 TEUs, which was 13 percent more than the 868,743 TEUs in the first five months of the past year.As previously announced by the PMO, the loading and unloading of goods in the ports of the country increased seven percent in the first quarter of the current Iranian year (March 21-June 21), as compared to the same period of time in the past year.The PMO reported that 51,661,306 tons of commodities were loaded and unloaded in the ports during the three-month period.Based on the data previously released by Transport and Urban Development Ministry, the loading and unloading of goods in the ports of Iran rose 17 percent during the previous Iranian calendar year 1400 (ended on March 20), 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 previous Iranian calendar 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 1399, the report said.The loading and unloading of goods during the previous year also grew by 12.8 percent in the dry bulk sector, while in the liquid bulk sector the figure increased by 12.6 percent, in the general cargo sector rose by 13.1 percent, and in the oil sector grew by 22.5 percent.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 facilitate 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 a course of five years.According to the PMO, the capacity of the country's ports has increased from 180 million tons in the Iranian calendar year 1392 (ended in March 2014) to 250 million tons in 1399 (ended in March 2021).MA/MA