TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) said the country’s foreign trade has exceeded $24.6 billion in the first five months of the current year (March 20-August 21) as 52 million tons of goods were exported during the period.
The IRICA also said that Iran exported 2.212 million tons of steel ingots worth $767 million, mostly to East Asian countries, reported Fars News Agency.
China is the biggest customer of Iranian steel ingots with $358 million.
The statistics also show that in the same period more than five million tons of metallic minerals worth $1.8 billion were exported.
The value of the export of the mining sector was $2.176 billion, more than 50 percent of which pertained to steel.
On Saturday, Caretaker of Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade Jafar Sarqeini announced eight percent of growth in the country’s production of steel during March 20-August 21.
“We have had a 6.3 percent growth in production of petrochemicals, 42.5 percent in home appliances, 50 percent in aluminum, eight percent in steel, 15 percent in cement and 18.5 in vehicles in the first five months of the current year,” Sarqeini said on Saturday.
He added that the capacity to produce steel chain has increased from 123 million tons seven years ago to 230 million tons this year.
Iran ranks 10th in the world in production of steel, Sarqeini said adding that the country outpaced France and Italy in this field in the past few years.
- source : Iran Daily
