Iranian mines and mineral industries exported $866.2 million worth of products in the first month of the current fiscal year (March 21-April 20), registering a 16% year-on-year growth, according to the news portal of the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization.
The rise in export value came, as shipments saw a 14% decline in tonnage year-on-year.
Steel and related products topped the list of exports in terms of value with $506 million, which were followed by copper and related products worth $110 million and aluminum worth $41 million.
A total of $247 million worth of similar products were imported during the same period, indicating a 1% year-on-year growth.
The volume of imports registered a 2% decline year-on-year.
Steel also topped the list of imports with $63 million. It was followed by coal and coke worth $44 million, alumina powder worth $38 million and different types of ferro-alloys worth $34 million.
Metal Exports in Fiscal 2021-22
More than 9 million tons of metallic mineral products worth $10.5 billion were exported from Iran in the fiscal 2021-22, registering a 12% rise in tonnage and a 91% rise in value compared to the year before, according to Elaheh Mokri, an official with the Iranian Mines and Industries Development and Renovation Organization.
Steel ingots worth $4.15 billion, long steel products worth $1.62 billion, copper cathode worth $1.36 billion, aluminum ingots worth 607 million, flat rolled steel products worth 494 million, zinc ingots worth 477 million, iron ore and concentrate worth 280 million and direct-reduced iron worth 238 million were the most important exported metallic mineral products during the period, Trade Promotion Organization of Iran reported.
The export of these eight products collectively stood at $9.23 billion and they accounted for 87% of the total metallic mineral shipments in the fiscal 2021-22.
During the period under review, among the select metallic mineral products, only sanitary valves showed a downtrend in exports.
The most valuable exported products were copper cathode with an average price of $9,624 per ton, sanitary valves with $5,833 per ton, zinc ingots with $3,138 per ton, lead ingots with $2,263 per ton, aluminum ingots with $2,529 per ton, ferroalloy with $1,250 per ton and copper ore and concentrate with $1,073 per ton.
Referring to hurdles in the way of exports, the IMIDRO official said restrictions imposed on the export of metal ores and mineral products in the form of customs duties, decline in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the mandate obliging exporters to the supply of their product in mercantile exchange for domestic sales, in addition to sanctions, have challenged traders to advance their medium- and long-term goals.
Steel Exports Hit $7.4 Billion
A total of 11.69 million tons worth $7.41 billion of steel were exported to 59 countries in the fiscal 2021-22 (ended March 20), IMIDRO reported earlier.
China with 3.54 million tons worth $2.02 billion accounted for 30.3% of Iran’s total exports in weight and 27.3% in value to top the list of export destinations.
It was followed by Iraq with 1.9 million tons (16.3%) worth $1.26 billion (17%), Indonesia with 1.7 million tons (14.5%) worth $1.09 billion (14.8%), Thailand with 1.17 million tons (10%) worth $750.12 million (10.1%) and the UAE with 724,170 tons (6.2%) worth $544.35 million (7.3%).
The Iranian Steel Producers Association earlier reported that 7.68 million tons of semi-finished steel products were exported from Iran in the fiscal 2021-22, up 25% compared with the previous year.
Billet and bloom had the lion’s share of semis exports with an aggregate of 5.1 million tons, up 12% compared with the previous year’s corresponding period.
Slab exports amounted to 2.58 million tons during the period, up 62% year-on-year.
Exports of finished steel products grew by 20% to 3.4 million tons during the period.
Rebar accounted for the largest portion of finished steel products exported from Iran during the period, with 2.5 million tons. The total volume of Iran’s rebar exports experienced a 36% growth compared with the same period of last year.
Beam exports amounted to 145,000 tons during the period under review, down 15% YOY.
About 200,000 tons of L-beam, T-beam and other types were also exported from Iran during the period, up 6% YOY.
Hot-rolled coil exports amounted to 433,000 tons, registering a 20% decline compared with the year before.
Cold-rolled coil with 17,000 tons registered a 35% decline year-on-year and coated coil with 115,000 tons, up 46% YOY, was the other finished steel product exported from Iran.
Exports of direct-reduced iron increased by 25% YOY to 1.06 million tons, ISPA figures show.
According to IMIDRO, Khouzestan Steel Company exported 2.05 million tons of steel products during the period to register a 37% year-on-year rise and top the list of Iranian exporters.
KSC's exports in the 12th month of last year stood at 454,815 tons, 225% higher compared with the same period of last year.
Mobarakeh Steel Company came next with 1.26 tons of exports during the 12-month period, up 1% YOY.
MSC exported 228,404 tons of steel products in the 12th month of the previous fiscal year, down 50% YOY. Esfahan Steel Company's exports during the month ending March 20 stood at 81,867 tons, 1% less YOY.
Khorasan Steel Company’s rebar registered the highest growth of 604% in export volume with 78,801 tons during the 12-month period. Khorasan Steel Company’s monthly rebar exports also registered the highest growth in terms of volume, with 6,801 tons of exports, up 293% YOY.
