Iran’s Zarrin Group relies on Unifrutti vessels in Philippines, as sanctions hit bananas

Iranian imports of bananas have faced multiple challenges over the past decade, not least the sanctions that have drastically limited companies’ ability to ship and make payments, but also the extreme weather experienced in some of the country’s key sources. Due to sanctions, bananas can only be shipped biweekly from the Philippines to Iran, exclusively by chartered vessel from multinational banana companies, according to Alireza Emami, CEO of Iranian trader Zarrin Group. “The continuation of the sanctions imposed on container shipping lines has left us with only one choice for shipping,” he tells Eurofruit following a November trip to the Philippines. “Unifrutti vessels, which head to Iran from Davao almost biweekly, as well as some other limited exporters of bananas and pineapples.” With the aim of achieving sustainable supplies of bananas for consumers in Iran, Emami conducted negotiations for 2024 with Unifrutti managers in the Philippines, while assessing the situation on the ...