Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct.16/ Trend G.Mehdi/
Iran has exported over 92,000 tons of aluminum ingots, valued at $166.5 million, in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 20, showing a 3.3 percent growth in terms of weight year on year, the ISNA reported on Tuesday.
According to the Iranian Customs Administration data, the exports were decreased by 17.7 percent in terms of value.Taiwan, India, and Turkey were the main buyers of Iranian aluminum ingots. Exports of aluminum ingots amounted to $358 million in the previous year.
Deputy head of Iran's Geology and Mineral Exploration Organization Behrouz Borna has said that the country ranks first in the Middle East for possessing the region's largest mineral reserves.
"Iran holds three percent of the world's mineral reserves, which puts the country first in the Middle East and third in Asia," Borna added, Press TV reported.
The official said the country holds about 68 kinds of minerals.
Iran is ranked among the 15 major mineral-rich countries of the world.