Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 17/ Trend, A.Yusifzade /
Iranian Petrochemical Commercial Company's exports to China and Western Europe has increased by 9 and 10 percent respectively during the past eight years, Shana reported quoting the managing director of the Petrochemical Commercial Company (PCC), Reza Hamzelou as saying.
According to Hamzelou, during the last eight years, the company's exports to China, in terms of weight, had risen to 22 percent from 14 percent and to Western Europe to 14 percent from 4 percent.
The PCC official noted that while total petrochemical products' exports stood at 4.823 million tons in the Iranian year of 1380 (started March 21 2001) the figure climbed to 11.595 million tons in 1388 (started March 21,2009).
'In 1388, (March 2009-March 2010) in addition to China and Western Europe the company exported 7 percent of its products to South East Asia, 19 percent to Far East, 22 percent to the Middle East, 13 percent to Indian Subcontinent and two percent to the other countries of the world.
Hamzelou reported of similar upward trend in domestic sale noting during the mentioned period domestic sale had risen to 6.228 million tons from 3.960 million tons.
Earlier, deputy Iranian minister of petroleum for petrochemical affairs Abdolhousain Bayat said that Iran's petrochemicals' production and exports increased by more than 35 percent in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year started on March 21 2010.
Abdolhousain Bayat said that petrochemicals sales during the seven months of the year totaled 14.130 million tons up 32 percent when compared with similar period last year.
He continued: 'more than 9.560 million tons of the petrochemicals exported showing 33 percent increase in comparison with similar period last year.'
Meanwhile petrochemicals exports revenue stood at $5.7 billion up 62 percent in comparison to corresponding period a year earlier.
On local sale, deputy minister of petroleum noted that 4.57 million tons of petrochemicals, up by 29 percent; have been offered inside the country in the bourse or as feedstock to other petrochemical plants.
The managing director of the National Petrochemical Company had already stated that the company has the capacity to produce up to 17 million tons of petrochemicals a day.
Bayat said that gasoline production at the aromatic units would be continued unless the officials to decide differently.
He stated that petrochemicals exports go on normally although confirmed that a very small fraction of aromatic products are being used for gasoline production.