Iran’s nine-month tile and ceramic output grows 2.8 percent

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.25

By Fatih Karimov - Trend:

Iran produced 220.343 million square meters of tiles and ceramics in the first 9 months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21, 2013, a 2.8 percent rise year on year, IRIB reported o January 25.

The output stood at 214.2 million square meters in the ninth calendar month of Azar (ended Dec. 21, 2013).

"Iran is the world's seventh biggest tiles and ceramics exporter,' Former Director of Trade Promotion Organisation of Iran Hamid Safdel said in June 2013.

Iran's is currently the world's fourth biggest tiles and ceramics producer, the IRNA News Agency quoted Safdel as saying.

Iran's tiles and ceramics output stood at 455 million square metres in the previous Iranian calendar year which ended March 20, 2013. The amount shows a 37 percent increase compared to its preceding year.

"Iran exported 90 million cubic metres of tiles and ceramics in the previous year, Head of the Tile Producers and Sellers Union, Mohammad Roshanfekr said.

He expressed the hope that the amount would increase to 120 million cubic metres by the end of current calendar year.

Neighbouring states, as well as African and central Asian countries are the main destinations for Iranian-made tiles and ceramics.