According to a report by Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) on Saturday, Gol-e Gohar Complex produced 4.15 million tons of iron pellets during the period while the output of Middle East Mines Industries Development Holding Company (MIDHCO), Chadormalou and Opal Parsian Sangan Industrial and Mineral (OPSIM) stood at 2.24 million tons, nearly 1.2 million tons and 954,899 tons, respectively.

The IMIDRO report added that Sanabad Iron Ore Complex, Sanabad Steel and Mineral Industries and Saba Nour Iron Ore Plant produced 343,992 tons, 844,833 tons and 164,253 tons of iron ore pellets during the four months.

The mentioned companies supplied 5.64 million tons of iron pellets as the feed of domestic steel plants, while the remaining were exported.

According to figures released by the World Steel Association (WSA) on July 23, Iranian steelmakers produced nearly 13.9 million tons of crude steel during the first half of 2020, marking a 10.2 percent rise compared to the figure for the same period of 2019, which was 12.6 million tons.

Iran produced 2.4 million tons of crude steel in June, showing a 5.3 percent increase compared to the figure for the same month of 2019, which was 2.3 million tons.

Iran produced 31.9 million tons of crude steel in 2019, according to the WSA figures released in January.

The country plans to increase its annual steel production capacity to 55 million tons by 2025, with exports expected to reach between 10 million tons and 15 million tons per year.

The WSA is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world. WSA members represent approximately 85 percent of the world’s steel producers, including over 150 steel producers, with nine of the 10 largest steel companies, national and regional steel industry associations and steel research institutes.

Soheil Me’marbashi, the head of the ministry’s Transportation Industries Department, added during June 21-July 21, Iran produced 106,018 of different types of cars, up from a total of 69,402 manufactured in the same period in 2019, reported Press TV.

He noted that the country’s car production surged by nearly 20 percent in the first four months of the current calendar year (March 20-July 21).

The official put the total output between late March and late July at 296,328 cars, saying the figure stood at 248,184 in the same time span last year.

The increase in production means the Iranian car industry is recovering from months of the recession that came because of lower demands and closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Carmakers around the world have reported historic plunges in output as the pandemic has caused factories and dealerships to close in many countries.

That comes as two main Iranian car manufacturers, namely Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) and Saipa, had been struggling with low cash supply and logistics problems even before the outbreak of the pandemic in Iran in late February.

Me’marbashi said IKCO had been responsible for a bulk of the increased production of cars in Iran during the pandemic months.

IKCO’s total car production during the four-month time span to July 21 reached over 160,000; while Saipa churned out nearly 145,000 cars over the same period, added the official.

He noted that production of small pickups had shown the highest amount of increase, nearly 33 percent, between March and July, as some 25,218 units of the vehicle were manufactured in this period, indicating a rise of 6,198 units compared to the output in the same duration last year, which stood at 19,020.

According to a report by IRNA on Saturday, Iranian steelmakers cast 1.493 million tons of crude steel ingots during months ending February 19, indicating a three percent drop compared to the related figures of last year.

The report also added that steel complexes of the country produced 12.3 million tons of steel products including round bars, pipes, hot rolled and cold rolled plated during the said period, seven percent up comparing the output of last year.

The World Steel Association (WSA) said in its recent report that Iran produced 2.8 million tons of crude steel in January, indicating a 924,000-ton increase compared to the figure for the same period last year, which was 1.9 million tons.

According to the WSA’s January report, Iran’s crude steel production witnessed a 46.7 percent growth compared to the figure for the same time span in 2019, whereas the global average production of the item grew by only 2.1 percent year-on-year.

Iranian steelmakers produced 31.9 million tons of crude steel during 2019, according to the WSA figures.

The statistics show a 17.7 percent rise for Iran compared to the corresponding figure of 2018, which stood at 24.5 million tons.

Iran was the 10th and 14th steelmaker of the world in 2018 and 2017, respectively.

According to the Islamic Republic’s Vision Plan, the country’s total steel production capacity is to hit 55 million tons a year by 2025, with exports figure expected to reach 10-15 million tons.

The World Steel Association (WSA) is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world. WSA members represent approximately 85 percent of the world’s steel producers, including over 150 steel producers with nine of the 10 largest steel companies, national and regional steel industry associations and steel research institutes.

According to statistics by the Association of Tire Manufacturers of Iran, 11 Iranian factories produced 237,645 tons of tires during the said period, IRNA reported on Friday.

Over 17 million passenger car tires, 1.16 million bicycle tires, and 3.775 scooter tires were produced.

Mohsen Safdari, the deputy director of the Non-metal Industries Office of the Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Ministry said in January that Iran enjoys an annual production capacity of 426,000 tons of tire.

He further said that 11 tire production units are active in the country, creating jobs for 14,500 people.

Safdari put the country’s imports of tires at 97,000 tons worth $320 million and exports at 8,500 tons valued at $30 million in the past Iranian year (ended March 20, 2019).

He said the export figure is low, as the Ministry of Industry decided to ban the export to regulate the domestic market.

Safdari said tire consumption in the country is anticipated to reach 330,000 tons in the current Iranian year, saying that 24 million tires of passenger cars are required, while domestic production is predicted to hit 20 million.

“The Iranian tire industry is dependent on foreign raw materials by 40 percent, so we are self-reliant by 60 percent in this field,” the official announced.

In January, the Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Reza Rahmani said the production of heavy vehicle tire in the country will be more than the domestic consumption of the product.

Making the remarks while visiting some industrial units at Parand Industrial Park, southwest of Tehran on January 3, the minister said, “We have five production projects ready to be implemented that will oversupply the domestic market with heavy vehicle tires and, in this way, the threat [sanctions] will be turned into an opportunity.

“We are currently importing 70 percent of our required truck tires, but five manufacturing plants have been planned to reduce the imports. Putting the first plant into operation next month, we will achieve 55 percent self-reliance in this product.”

He said, “We have taken several major steps in terms of domestic production and self-reliance; the first step is to prevent importing products that can be produced inside the country.”

According to the WSA report in January, Iran’s raw steel output witnessed a 46.7 percent growth compared to the figure for the same time span in 2019, whereas the global average production of the item grew by only 2.1 percent year-on-year, IRNA reported.

In January 2020, Iran produced 2.89 million tons of raw steel, indicating a 924,000-ton increase compared to the figure for the same period last year, which was 1.97 million tons.

This comes as raw steel production by 64 countries in the same month stood at 154.43 million tons, showing a rise of 3.2 million tons compared to the figure for January 2019, which amounted to 151.22 million tons.

In January 2020, the world’s top five steel producers were China (84.26 million tons), India (9.22 million tons), Japan (8.22 million tons), the US (7.7 million tons) and Russia (six million tons) respectively.

According to figures by the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, the country produced over 20 million tons of raw steel during the first 10 months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2019-January 21, 2020), up by 6.8 percent year-on-year.

In the same duration last year, Iran’s raw steel output stood at 18.73 million tons.

In addition, Iran’s production of steel products reached 17.58 million tons during March 21, 2019-January 21, 2020, showing an increase of 9.3 percent compared to the figure for the same time span a year ago, which amounted to 16.09 million tons.

During the same 10-month period to January 21, Iran exported 8.8 million tons of steel ingots and products, with overseas sales of steel ingots accounting for more than 66 percent of the total figure.

Figures by the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA) shows that in this period, 5.82 million tons of steel ingots and 2.98 million tons of steel products were exported.

During the same 10-month time span a year ago, Iran had destined 3.97 million tons of steel ingots to foreign markets, which was 47 percent less than the country’s exports during March 21, 2019-January 21, 2020.

Beef accounted for the lion’s share of the output with 43,200 tons, accounting for 53.1 percent of Q3 red meat production, followed by lamb with 29,400 tons (36.1 percent), goat meat with 6,600 tons (8.1 percent) and meat from other livestock with 2,300 tons (2.7 percent), IRNA reported.

The top 10 red meat producing provinces in Iran are Khorasan Razavi, Fars, East Azarbaijan, Mazandaran, West Azarbaijan, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Tehran, Ardebil, and Hamedan.

Imports are made from the Commonwealth of Independent States as well as Brazil and Australia.

According to Karamali Qandali, the head of Nomadic Affairs Organization, Iranian nomads supply 25 percent of the country’s demand for red meat.