Five Ships Anchor at Aqaba Port Bound for Iraq

Five ships have anchored at Aqaba Port to transport cargo to Iraq, carrying transit shipments of rice, corn, sugar, iron and timber. The development underscores Iraq’s growing use of the Jordanian port for imports over the past two months, amid developments in Iran and disruption to maritime transport in the region. Cargo handling at the port has reached about 2 million tons since the start of the year, representing an increase of roughly 70% compared with last year. The figures point to a sharp rise in activity as Iraqi importers shift more freight through Aqaba. The port had previously received 100,000 tons of vegetable oil for Iraq aboard four ships. Two more ships carrying 65,000 tons of vegetable oil are also waiting to unload.