Iranian, Indian ports extend discount for mutual port costs

Tehran, Oct 18, IRNA – The Indian ports of JNPT and Kandla and the Iranian Port of Shahid Rajaei in the southeastern city of Chabahar have extended an agreement for offering 40% discount to cargos coming from or going to either destination for another year, according to a local official. Behrouz Aghaei, the director of Sistan and Balouchestan Province Department of Ports and Maritime Organization, said on Sunday that the discount was introduced for the first time a year ago to help further strengthen regional bonds, and increase the transfer of goods between the two countries. He said that since the Iranian and Indian ports agreed to offer a 40% discount to port costs last year, the two countries have witnessed an incredible rise of bilateral exchanges so that Iran’s exports to India have excessively increased over the past six months. India’s 75,000 tons of donated wheat to India were sent to Afghanistan via Iran’s Shahid Rajaei Port last year, the official said.