Qatar Requests Maritime Shipping, Trade with Iran

"The Qataris who supplied their goods through Saudi Arabia and the UAE before (the siege and) sanctions have now requested increased maritime shipping between Iran and Qatar to bolster mutual trade," Haqshenas said on Saturday.
He added that the goods which are transited from Turkey and other adjacent countries to Qatar can also use the proper shipping lines at Bushehr port to carry goods to the Qatari ports.
"We are now witnessing an eye-catching growth in shipping lines between the Iranian and Qatari ports," Haqshenas said.
A customs report said in June that Iran had exported 216.585 tons of goods worth $47.666 million to Qatar during the first two months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2018-May 21, 2018), showing a considerable growth in terms of value.
"Iran's export to Qatar increased five-fold times as compared with last year's corresponding period," the latest statistics of Iran's Customs Administration on foreign trade showed.
It noted that the amount of Iran’s exports to Qatar during the first two months of the current year compared to the same period last year had been increased by 64 percent and 435 percent in terms of weight and value, respectively.
Saudi Arabia and its allies, including the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar in early June  2017 over charges that it supports terrorism. They have accordingly imposed a land, sea and air blockade against Qatar thus leaving only a sea and air corridor open with Iran.
This created a rise in Iran’s exports – particularly fruits and vegetables – to Qatar over the past months. Iran has also become a corridor for exports of other countries to the blockaded Persian Gulf state.
Source: FNA