The import of essential goods runs around the clock in the Iranian ports.
Also known as consumer goods, essential goods are products that consumers buy regardless of changes in income levels.
Basic goods in 12 Iranian trading ports reached 4.53 million tons according to the latest figures these northern and southern ports received on Aug. 25, according to the deputy for economic affairs at Iran Ports and Maritime Organization.
“These vital goods include wheat, corn, barley, soybeans, rice, sugar, unrefined vegetable oils and oilseeds,” Farhad Montasar Kouhsari was quoted on Saturday by the news portal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.
The official added that based on these figures, 3.29 million tons of vital goods in Imam Khomeini port in southern Khuzestan province, 441,760 tons in Shaheed Rajaee port in Hormozgan province, 313,169 tons in Amirabad port in northern Mazandaran province, 175,667 tons in the port of Noshahr in the same province, 143,721 tons in the port of Chabahar in the province of Sistan-Baluchestan, 73,490 tons in the port of Bandar Anzali in the province of Gilan, 69,664 tons in the port of Fereydounkenar in Mazandaran, 18,063 tons in the port of Astara in Gilan, 584 tons in the port of Khuzestan, Khorramshahr, 123 tons in Khorramshahr Port, 70 tons in Bandar Lengeh Port in Hormozgan and 53 tons in Bushehr Port in Bushehr Province.
Kouhsari said that on the same day, 18 ships carrying 417,271 tons of cargo had docked at these ports and 26 others with a total capacity of 1.25 million tons were waiting to unload their cargo.
The port of Imam Khomeini is the most important transshipment point for important imports. Shahid Rajaee, Amirabad and Noshahr are other important ports of entry for essential goods, he added.
A total of 102,000 tons of unprocessed edible oil were imported through the port of Imam Khomeini in the first five months of the current financial year (March 21 – August 22), reported the news agency Mehr.
That is twice the import volume in the corresponding period of the previous year.
In the same period, around 305,000 tons of unprocessed cooking oil were cleared and transported from the port to different parts of the country. Imam Khomeini port currently holds more than 324,000 tons of various types of unprocessed edible oils for shipping across the country in the coming days, the report added.
Imam Khomeini Port has 40 quays, 140 kilometers of railway on its premises and state-of-the-art loading and unloading facilities.
Almost 90% of Iran’s raw material requirements for animal feed and 80% of its grain are imported through this southern port.
Almost 15.7 million tons of vital goods were handled in the port in the 2019-20 financial year.
The Iranian central bank provided more than 7.2 billion US dollars at a subsidized rate of 42,000 rials per US dollar for the import of essential goods and medicines in the first five months of the current Iranian year (March 21 to August 22) , that’s twice as much as last year.
Latest statistics from CBI show it has allocated $ 580 million to import barley; $ 939 million for oilseeds; $ 1,408 million for corn; $ 1,257 million for unprocessed or vegetable oil; $ 571 for soy flour; $ 564 million for wheat; and $ 322 million for essentials classified as “other” by the Department of Industry, Mining, and Trade and the Department of Agriculture.
In addition, the Department of Health and Medical Education received US $ 1,611 million for imports of drugs and medical equipment during the reporting period.
The provision of subsidized foreign exchange of 42,000 rials per US dollar for imports of essential goods and pharmaceuticals amounted to 7,252 million US dollars over the five month period.
Fiscal year 2020-21 in review
According to the spokesman for the Customs Administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a total of 23 million tons of vital goods worth 12 billion US dollars were imported in the last Iranian year (March 2020-21).
“The lion’s share of that 13.44 million metric tons, valued at $ 3.74 billion, was for livestock and poultry feed. This volume accounted for 58% and 31%, respectively, of the weight and value of all imports of vital goods last year, ”Rouhollah Latifi is also quoted by IRNA.
The official found that corn was worth $ 2.5 billion worth of corn, soybean meal was worth $ 1.82 million tons, and barley was worth $ 1.83 million tons $ 457.32 million.
“During the reporting period, approximately 2.34 million tons of oilseeds valued at $ 1.25 billion and 1.14 million tons of refined edible, semi-solid, liquid and unprocessed oils worth $ 1.06 billion were imported,” said Latifi.
Imports also included 14,798 tons of human medicine, medical equipment valued at $ 1.64 billion, and 451,000 tons of livestock and poultry medicines valued at $ 64.16 million.
“Our food imports also included 936,809 tons of rice worth $ 868.53 million, worth $ 144.04 million, 30,487 tons of frozen or cold heavy cattle meat worth $ 133.27 million, 9,801 tons of butter $ 51.46 million and 4,422 tons of warm light cattle meat valued at $ 29.17 million, ”he added.
Imports of essentials for industrial use and production, the IRICA spokesman said, consisted mainly of 51,415 tons of industrial machinery worth $ 510.8 million, 207,583 tons of various types of paper worth $ 190.1 million, 231,064 tons Paper pulp valued at $ 181.06 million, 252,204 tons of fertilizer valued at $ 153.08 million, 9,074 tons of pesticides and insecticides valued at $ 86.27 million, and 6,019 kinds of plant seeds valued at 83 . $ 63 million.
Latifi concluded that it imported 76,716 tons of truck tires valued at $ 282.84 million during the reporting period.
According to Mirashrafi, Iran imported 3.5 million tons of vital goods worth 9.7 billion US dollars from China, 5 million tons worth 9.6 billion US dollars from the United Arab Emirates, 4.3 billion US dollars Dollars from Turkey, 2.2 million tons worth 2.1 billion US dollars from India and 1.2 million tons worth 1.8 billion US dollars from Germany in the year ending March 20, 2021.
