MNA � CEO of Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Mohammad Rastad said that reduced imports volume in the country is not related to the sanctions imposed by US against Iran.







PMO faced a considerable 16.6 percent decline in nonoil imports which is mainly related to the critical economic situation of the country, he maintained.

He put the current imports volume of nonoil commodities via ports of the country at 11.7 million tons, showing a significant 16.6 percent decrease as compared to the same period last year.

He once again reiterated that reduced imports volume of nonoil commodities cannot be correlated with the US sanctions imposed on Iran, rather, critical economic situation of the country should be blamed in this regard.

Turning to the statistics on loading and unloading bulk and liquid products such as oil derivatives, he said, �19.8 million tons of bulk and liquid products were transported in the country in the six months of the last Iranian calendar year (from March 20 to Sept. 21, 2017), showing a considerable 11.5 percent decline as compared to the same period of last year.�

He pointed to 70th anniversary of World Maritime Day in the next week and said, �since Islamic Republic of Iran has 5,700 km coastal area, 11 main trade and business ports as well as 60 small-scale ports in terms of capacity, it is considered among world�s top 20 countries, so that presence of secretary general of International Maritime Organization (IMO) will enable Iran to showcase its high maritime capabilities and potentials to other countries in the world especially in sanctions period.�

CEO of Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Mohammad Rastad put the current port capacity of the country at about 220 million tons in a way that Iran maritime fleet is able to import or export up to 300 million tons of various types of goods via domestic ports.