In 2023, more than 4 million tons of cargo will be transported through the ports of the Astrakhan region, which is 50% more than in the previous year. Such data was provided by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy of the region Ilya Volynsky.

He reminded that Astrakhan region is a key logistic hub of the international transport corridor "North - South", which connects Russia with Iran and countries of South-East Asia, Astrakhan 24 reports.

The growth of cargo turnover is due to several factors, including geopolitical conditions that promote trade with partners in the corridor, dredging of the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal, which increased the draft of ships to 4.5 meters, and modernization of the port complex.

The Minister noted that in 2023 such types of cargo as oil, lumber and metal were actively transported.

Also, Astrakhan Oblast increased 2.5 times the transshipment of grain from Belarus and Russia to Iran via the North-South transport corridor. Grain is delivered by roads and railroads at a distance of about 3,000 kilometers and then transported by sea. Grains and legumes are transported by containers, the cargo turnover of which has increased by 300%.

In addition to exports, imports of products from Iran, mainly polymer products, are also growing. Transit through the ITC saves 30-40% of time and costs compared to the Suez Canal.