Tehran - Iran plans to double imports through its northern ports to 8 million tons by year-end to diversify supply routes and reduce reliance on southern ports amid maritime restrictions.

 

Mohammad Reza Kalami, secretary of the Iranian Association of Livestock and Poultry Feed Importers, said approximately 4 million tons of goods were imported through northern ports last year, with the volume targeted to reach at least 8 million tons this year.

 

He warned that rising demand for northern shipping routes had driven freight costs sharply higher, from around $20 to $120 per ton, significantly increasing the cost of transporting goods to warehouses and distribution centers.

 

Kalami also called for better coordination of covered-truck fleets in Mazandaran Province, noting that some operators were reluctant to transport cargo from ports to inland warehouses because more lucrative long-distance routes offered higher freight rates.

 

He stressed that northern ports should complement, rather than replace, southern import routes, adding that cargo shipments through southern ports continued despite existing challenges.

 

Meeting the import target will require expanding cargo-handling and storage capacity, improving road transport, streamlining customs clearance and containing logistics costs to ensure a more resilient supply chain.