Cement exporters are turning away from the lucrative but restricted Iraqi market toward North African countries like Kenya and Ethiopia, says Abdolreza Sheikhan, the head of Iran Cement Employers Association. According to the official, the Iraqi government has banned all types of cement imports in a bid to support its domestic industry. Iran’s western neighbor has until recently accounted for over 48% of Iran’s annual cement exports. Sheikhan called on the government to subsidize the cost of transportation to Africa in support of the domestic industry, SMT daily reported.
