Afghanistan’s 1st transit goods shipped to China via Iran’s strategic port

Afghanistan’s first transit goods were shipped to China via Iran’s southeastern Chabahar Port, said the director-general of Ports and Maritime Department of Sistan and Balouchestan Province, where Chabahar lies.

According to Tasnim news agency, Behrouz Aqaei said the shipment was carried out through Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar.

The official further said that while the world is affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar has taken a big step to facilitate trade between Central Asian countries and Afghanistan and the countries of South and Southeast Asia and the Far East by establishing regular container transportation services.

Stating that Afghanistan's first transit shipment of dried fruit was sent to Tianjin Port in China, he said that the cargo was sent to the Indian Port of Mundra via Chabahar, which was unloaded at that port and loaded on another ship to its final destination.

During the past month, Afghanistan sent three transit consignments to India via Shahid Beheshti Port in Chabahar.

On July 1, Aqaei announced that Afghanistan sent 39 containers with a total capacity of 76 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) to India through Iran’s Chabahar Port.

According to the official, 30 refrigerated containers and nine conventional ones (a total of 76 TEUs) were shipped from Chabahar Port on June 30 heading for the Indian Ports of Mandra and Nhava Sheva.

In 2016, Iran, India, and Afghanistan decided to jointly establish a trade route for land-locked Central Asian countries.

India sent its first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan through Iran’s Chabahar Port back in 2017.

Later, Afghanistan officially started exporting goods to India through Chabahar Port in a ceremony held in early February 2019.

ME