Iran has announced an increase of 13 percent in truck transit activities through its territory in what could be a sign of the significance of the country’s location in regional trade.   

Iran’s Customs Administration in a statement said about 542,000 trucks had crossed the country’s border checkpoints points over a period of nine months starting 21 March 2017 – the start of the Iranian calendar year.

The figure, the statement added, was higher than the similar period last year by 13 percent.

The trucks were carrying goods belonging to over 100 countries, the Customs Administration added in its statement as reported by Iran’s domestic media.

It added that the volume of cargos transited through the Iranian territory over the same period had also increased by 13 percent in weight to reach as high as 8.2 million tonnes.

In September, Iran announced a surprise rise of around 24 percent in transit of goods through its territories over a period of five months starting 21 March 2017.

Figures released by Iran’s Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization (IRMTO) showed that above 4.17 million tonnes of goods had been moved through 32 active land and maritime borders over the period.

The IRMTO further added in a statement as reported by Iran’s media that Shaheed Rajaei Port in the southern city of Bandar Abbas remained Iran’s most important port through which 35 percent of the country’s total trade activities had taken place.

The next key transit points were Parviz Khan and Bazargan checkpoints that respectively open to Iraq’s Kurdistan region and Turkey’s east.

The bulk of goods transported through border points included non-oil products such as fuel oil, textiles, auto parts and food products at a total volume of 2.78 million tonnes.