Azerbaijan, Baku, September 13 /Trend, N. Umid/
Minibus and middlebus production was halted in Iran during last Iranian calendar month (July 23- August 22), ISNA news agency reported citing statistics of the Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry.
Iran produced some 36 minibuses and middlebuses during the last Iranian calendar month (July 23- August 22) last solar year, the report said.
According to the report, the minibus and middlebus production decreased by 75.5 percent during the first five months of the current solar year (started on March 21), compared to the same period of the last solar year.
The figure reached 25 during the period. Meanwhile Iran produced some 103 minibuses and middlebuses in the five month period of the last solar year.
The production has been halted due to failure in fully implementation of the passenger transport fleet renewal plan, ISNA quoted secretary of the Iranian Automakers Association Ahmad Nematbakhsh as saying.
It was planed that administration pays credits for replacing outdated minibuses with new ones.
Iran produced 224,927 cars in the first five months of the current solar year.
Alongside 25 minibuses, some 190,394 sedan cars, 31,597 pickup trucks, 2,750 trucks and 161 buses were produced in the country in the aforementioned period.
According to the statistics of the Islamic republic of Iran customs administrations (IRICA), Iran's auto exports have decreased by 92 percent during the first four months of the current solar year compared to the same period of last year.
Iran has exported 1269 vehicles worth $10 million during this period.
Iraq had the largest share of Iran's auto exports with 849 cars.
Iran's automobile output faced a 40 percent decrease in 2012. The country was Asia's fifth largest car manufacturer in 2011, with a total output of 1,648,505.
Increasing prices of raw materials and foreign currencies are the main problems the car manufacturers are facing.
It should be recalled that on July 1, the U.S. imposed a new round of sanctions against anyone involved in Iran's auto industry and anyone caught using Iran's currency, the rial, for 'significant transactions'.
According to the statistics, about 69 automobile manufacturer units have been closed and 115,000 people lost their jobs in the automobile sector of Iran during the past two years.