Antwerp Eager to Attract More Business from Iran

According to Antwerp Port authorities “Now that sanctions against Iran have been lifted, the Port is eager to restore economic relations with that country.

News ID: 67659

Date: 21 July 2016 - 10:55

The arrival of the container carrier Azargoun at the Antwerp Gateway terminal in the Deurganck dock comes as economic sanctions against Iran have been lifted, and follows the ship’s call at neighboring port of Hamburg,MANA reported.
Up until 2010 Antwerp was the main European port destination for Iranian cargo, the port said.
“Now that sanctions against Iran have been lifted, the Port Authority is eager to restore economic relations with that country. With its large and growing cargo volume of containers and petrochemical products, Iran offers great potential for a port such as Antwerp which is not only the second-largest container port in Europe but is also home to the continent’s largest integrated petrochemical cluster,” the port adds.
IRISL announced at the end of January that it intended to resume the direct container service between the Persian Gulf and Europe. In the longer term it aims to operate a weekly service with units ranging from 5,125 to 6,572 TEU. The container carrier Azargoun (2,478 TEU) left the port of Bandar Abbas on 19 February, arriving in the Mediterranean 10 days later via the Suez canal. IRISL will send other container and breakbulk carriers to the port of Antwerp in mid-April.
The announcement came on the back of the renewal of bilateral diplomatic ties that started in October 2015 with a port delegation headed by port alderman Marc Van Peel paying a visit to Iran.
The talks on cooperation are heating up, as the port aims to offer its maritime know-how and expertise to further develop Iran’s port facilities.