TEHRAN (Dispatches) - Torang Darya Shipping (TDS) Line, the biggest private shipping company in Iran, is looking to expand its business in Qatar. The company expects the trade between Qatar and Iran is bound to increase in coming days which will lead to increase in its frequency from Qatar.
"Before siege (imposed on Qatar) we did not have any desire (to expand), because Qatar was importing most of its requirement from some of its neighboring countries. But right now, we have desire and plan for import and export from Qatar. We want to extend our business in Qatar,” Amir Khani from TDS Line said.
The company started its service from Qatar around four months ago and currently has once in a week service from Qatar.
After the unjust siege, which was imposed on Qatar by blockading countries on June 5, the momentum of trade between Iran and Qatar has picked up. Now vegetables, equipment, dairy products and other food data-x-items are coming to Qatar from Iran via sea route. Shelves of many retail outlets in the country are now filled with Iranian products. "We ship minerals, tools, and food stuffs. We are the biggest private shipping company in Iran with three ships and 7,000 containers- 20 feet, 40 feet and reefer containers,” said Khani. "We have once in a week service from Qatar between Bandar Abbas (in Iran) to Hamad Port,” he added.
He believes that the volume of trade between the two countries will increase in future because of rapid pace of growth Qatar is witnessing currently. Projects related to FIFA World Cup are going in full swing and companies will require raw materials. TDS Line has enough capacity to meet demand coming out of Qatar, he said.
"World Cup in 2022 will be hosted in Qatar and companies involved in the projects related to this mega sporting event will need goods,” said Khani.
The role of cargo movement through sea route has increased in the country after the siege was imposed on Qatar.
Due to the proactive steps taken by the Mwani Qatar in the past few months, the cargo movement at Hamad Port has witnessed strong growth. The port, the largest port in the Middle East, saw a huge 44 percent year-on-year rise in cargo movement in September this year while 120 percent rise in tonnage in the same month last year.