Naval blockade opens opportunity to diversify Iran’s trade routes
By Delaram Ahmadi
Staff writer
The United States has been imposing a sea blockade on Iran’s southern ports for months. The blockade has inevitably affected the country’s foreign trade and supply chains, highlighting the need to strengthen alternative routes, including land and rail links. Ali Emami, director general of the Logistics and Support Office at the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, told Iran Daily that although alternative routes cannot fully replace maritime transport, they are essential for maintaining the resilience of supply chains during times of crisis. He said that despite the damage inflicted on Iran, the war has created an opportunity to pay greater attention to developing such routes.
IRAN DAILY: Given recent developments in maritime trade routes, how can Iran make use of its land borders, rail network, northern ports and Caspian Sea routes to diversify its foreign trade routes?
EMAMI: The truth is that maritime transport dominates global trade. You cannot eliminate maritime transport and replace it with road and land transport, just as China and the United States have been unable to do so, for several reasons. One is that the volume of cargo carried by a single ship is far greater than what can be transported by a train or truck. In addition, maritime transport is far less costly than road and rail transport.
However, all major economies where trade is important, including China, draw up alternative routes so that if their supply chains run into problems, they can make use of those capacities. These include the Northern, Middle and Southern Corridors that China has developed toward Europe.
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