Azerbaijan , Baku, April 2 / Trend, A.Yusifzade /
Iran with an annual cement production capacity of more than 72 million ton ranks sixth in the world, but leads in Middle East for the volume of production, Iranian Ministry of Industries and Mines reported quoting the Deputy Minister of Industries and Mines for Mines and Mining Industries Vajihollah Jafari as saying.
According to Jafari, Iran produced 60 million tons of cement last Iranian year (March 21, 2010-March 20, 2011).
Iran has exported more than $637 million of cement during the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20, 2010), the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance reported.
Iraq, the Persian Gulf littoral states, the Central Asian countries and Afghanistan were the major destinations for Iran's cement.
Iraq imported more than 1.5 million tons of cement worth $456 million to be named the major importer of the Iranian product.
"Among the key indicators of development and progress in any society are production and consumption of cement and steel," Iran's Minister of Industries and Mines Ali Akbar Mehrabian told Mehr news agency.
"There is no limitation for production of the two commodities in the country," Mehrabian added.
The government is planning to ramp up investment in deprived areas, especially in major projects with high added value, Mehrabian stressed.