BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 2
By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:
Products will begin being shipped by container for the first time between with Bandar Abbas port of Hormozgan province in southern Iran and Sultan Qaboos port of Muscat city in Oman, said Hamid Zadboum, Deputy Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade of Iran and Chairman of the Trade Development Organization, Trend reports citing official website of Organization.
According to Zadbum, fruits and vegetables will be shipped by containers from April 4.
Zadboum added that although the coronavirus has created a number of problems for Iran's foreign trade, it has not completely hampered Iran's trade.
The deputy minister said that the Iranian economy will overcome the coronavirus crisis.
Zadboum said that although the coronavirus has created a crisis in Iran's foreign trade and economy, it has created a successful and special opportunity in the development of exports, especially the export of services.
"Iran should use the potential of the markets of neighboring countries to increase its exports," he said.
Iran exported 133.9 million tons of products worth $ 41.3 billion last Iranian year (from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020).
China ($9.5 billion),Iraq ($9 billion), Turkey ($5 billion), UAE ($4.5 billion) and Afghanistan ($2.3 billion) are in the top five in terms of exports.
Also 35.3 million tons of products worth $43.7 billion were imported to Iran. China ($11.2 billion), UAE ($8.9 billion), Turkey ($4.5 billion), India ($3.6 billion) and Germany ($2.1 billion) are in the top five in terms of imports.
Iran is one of the countries heavily affected by the rapidly-spreading coronavirus. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 47,500 people have been infected, 3,036 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 15,400 have reportedly recovered from the disease.
The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease.
The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.