Iran Ahead of France and Italy in Steel Production
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
TEHRAN – The caretaker of Industry, Mine and Trade Ministry says industry sector of the country has grown positively 2.5 percent in the first quarter of the year and the country in terms of steel production is now ahead of countries like France and Italy.
Speaking in the inaugural ceremony of the second phase of South Kaveh Steel Company in Hormuzgan Province, Mr. Jafar Sarghini said that Iran’s steel production chain has increased from 123 tons in 2013 to 230m tons during the Hope and Prudence Government, adding that the capacity for producing raw steel has reached 37m tons due to endeavors of Iranian experts despite all cruel sanctions.
He added that Iran in steel production now ranks 10th in the world, adding that in the past years, the country has surpassed France and Italy in terms of steel production.
Sarghini added that steel production in the world witnessed 3.5 percent growth last year, adding that despite all sanctions and by reliance on the jihadi spirit, the raw steel production in the country has grown by 6.5 percent.
He added that in five years leading to 2012, the country used to export 22 to 23 million tons of raw iron ore but the figure increased to less than 4 million tons last year.
He added that in 2011, the country exported 1.5m tons of steel and in return it imported 6.5m tons of steel but last year, the country set a record in export of steel and it exported some 12m tons of different steel products, reiterating that the country just imported 200,000 to 300,000 tons of steel in the same period due to the completion of chains.
On the 2025 Outlook and the target for producing 55m tons of raw steel, he said currently, the country has 37m tons ready steel and 20 million tons are also in the works and it can definitely materialize the target of producing 55 million tons of steel by 2025.
Sarghini noted that steel industry has been indigenized and even the country has attained the technology of PERD.
He then pointed to some statistics regarding the production in the country in the first five months of the current year, saying that in petrochemicals, the country has posted 6.3 percent growth, and also 42.5 percent growth in home appliances, 50 percent in aluminum, 8 percent in steel , 15 percent in cement and 1.5 percent in auto industry.
He reiterated that despite sanctions, the growth in the industry sector according to the Central Bank report has grown positively by 2.5 percent.
