Iran’s commercial fleet transports 30m tons of goods
An Iranian official says Iran’s commercial fleet transported about 30 million tons of goods during the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 19).
Mohammad Sadeqifar, an official with Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), told Mehr news agency on Monday that the figure shows a 4.4-percent increase in maritime trade compared with the previous year.
He said that Iran stood at the 17th place in the global ranking of fleets, provided by the International Maritime Organization.
The Islamic Republic also has the biggest commercial fleet in the Middle East, with some 145 vessels, Sadeqifar said, adding that 16 more ships are set to join Iranian freighters.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its subsidiaries operate most of the cargo vessels.