BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 28
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
The covered platforms can be built to increase volume of loaded and unloaded cargo in the Amirabad and Caspian ports of Gilan Province (northern Iran), member of Iran and Russia Chamber of Commerce Jalil Jalalifar said, Trend reports citing Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of Iran.
According to Jalalifar, Gilan province has rainy and windy weather for an average of 100 days a year. This results in delays in loading and unloading operations in the ports of the province.
Jalalifar added that with the connection of the Rasht railway to the Caspian port, the volume of freight traffic will increase.
The official noted that if Iran wants to increase non-oil exports to the Eurasian Economic Union by $3 billion, Iran must have at least 600 refrigerated containers in the Caspian Sea.
The Iranian government has a number of plans to increase exports to the Eurasian Economic Union. One of these plans is to develop the Astara border terminal for the movement of 400 trucks a day. In addition, increasing the capacity of the Bilasuvar border checkpoint in Ardabil Province is also included in the plan.
Jalalifar emphasized that the Rasht-Astara railway is in the center of attention in terms of increasing the transit of products via the North-South Corridor.
The length of the Rasht-Astara railway is 160 kilometers.
A temporary trade memorandum was signed between Iran and the EAEU on October 27, 2019. In accordance with the memorandum, 862 kinds of products will be traded upon preferential tariffs between the two sides.
Iran will export 502 kinds of products, mainly pistachios, kiwi, oil products, raisins, cucumbers, cabbages, dates, medicines, cement, copper, and methanol, and import 360 kinds of products including barley, animal feed, vegetable oil, cathode, etc.
The value of trade turnover between Iran and EAEU reached $1.78 billion from October 27, 2019, to April 25, 2020. During this period, 1.34 million tons of products worth $539 million were exported to the union, and the largest share (53 percent) was exported to Russia.