Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7
By Rahim Zamanov - Trend:
Iran plans to export a 50,000-ton consignment of clinker to Saudi Arabia from the Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, the IRNA News Agency reported on January 6.
Based on the contract signed with Saudi Arabia's side, Qeshm cement factory will export another 50,000-ton consignment of clinker to Riyadh by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20).
Qeshm cement factory has already exported 130,000 tons of cement and clinker to the Persian Gulf states from the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (which started on March 21, 2013) so far.
Iran produced 50.2 million tons of cement in the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21, up 2.2 percent year on year.
The output amounted to 5.65 million tons in the eighth calendar month of Aban (ended November 21), IRNA reported in December.
Some 39.8 million tons of cement were supplied to the domestic market in the 8-month period.
Iran exported 11.268 million tons of cement in the first seven months of the calendar current year (which started on March 21) surpassed 44.56 million tons, the Industry, Mine, and Trade Ministry reported on November 20.
The figure shows a 37 percent increase compared to the same period of the previous year, the IRNA News Agency reported.
The IRNA News Agency reported on June 23 that Iran currently exports cement to 24 countries including Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Oman, India, and China.
Seven countries out of the mentioned 24 accounted for 97 percent of Iran's total cement exports.
Iraq with 63 percent, Azerbaijan with 4 percent, and Turkmenistan with 7 percent were the main importers of Iranian cement.
Iran's cement and clinker exports stood at over 13.648 million tons in the previous calendar year, which ended on March 20.
The country exported over 11.85 million tons of cement and 1.79 million tons of clinker in the mentioned period.
Iran produced 75 million tons of cement in the previous year. The country's cement production capacity stands at 80 million tons.
Iran with total production of 65 million tons ranked as the world's third largest cement producer in 2012.
Former Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said in August 2012 that the country's cement production capacity will reach 110 million tons by 2015.