TPO says three foreign trade hubs remain active despite restrictions
Three Iranian trade hubs outside the country's borders remain active and road transit through Iran is continuing despite wartime restrictions, a Trade Promotion Organization official said.
Ali Emami, director general of logistics and support at the TPO, told ILNA that Pakistan's Karachi port, a route through China and a route through Turkey could serve as Iranian trade hubs under current conditions.
He said the Trade Promotion Organization was using Iranian commercial attachés in neighboring countries, including Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Afghanistan and Iraq, to work with customs and transport authorities to develop the routes.
Use of Iran's southern ports has declined because of restrictions caused by the war, and alternative routes through the Caspian Sea and by road have been considered for moving goods, Emami said.
Cargo loading and unloading at northern ports has increased by 54%, he said, adding that road routes through Pakistan and Turkey were used mainly for containerized cargo.
Emami said 73% of Iran's export cargo and 79% of its import cargo were transported by sea, making the shift of such volumes to road and rail routes difficult.
He said essential goods were being fully supplied, while some industrial and mining goods were entering the country with delays.
Iran’s Southern ports remain under a US naval blockade imposed by Washington in mid-April, aimed at pressuring Tehran into an agreement after a 40-day US-Israeli war that began in late February. After a pause of several weeks, the naval blockade was reinstated in mid-July. Tehran is seeking to diversify its logistics corridors to counter growing restrictions on its trade routes.
Iran's maritime transit has declined because of the naval blockade, but road transit through the country is continuing, Emami said.
The Bazargan, Bashmaq and Tamarchin border crossings are among the main entry points for transit cargo, while Dogharoun is the main exit route for transit cargo to Afghanistan, he said. Emami warned that reduced attention to the security and stability of transit routes could lead other countries to choose alternative routes in the future.