Transit of goods via Iran rises 13% in 4 months

Over 4.295mln tons of goods were transited via Iran during the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-July 22), showing a 13 percent rise compared with the same period last year. Some 95 percent of the goods were transited by road and the rest by rail. The transited consignments mostly consisted of fuel, construction materials, cotton, home appliances, vehicles, foodstuff and fertilizers, the Iranian Mehr News Agency reported. Deputy Iranian Road and Urban Development Minister Shahriyar Afandizadeh said that Iran has the capacity to transit 40mln tons of goods annually. Afandizadeh added that the capacity has been attained through expanding the roads network, establishing border terminals, and boosting transport infrastructures. Afandizadeh said that over 11.6mln tons of goods were transited through Iran in the previous Iranian calendar year. He added that 106 countries transited their goods via Iran. Meanwhile, head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization Ataollah Sadr has said that Iran earns some 14 trillion rials (about $1.15bln) annually through transiting goods via ports. Around $140bln worth of goods are annually transited via Iranian ports, he added.