Iran exported 11.4 million tons of cement and clinker during the first eight months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Nov. 21, 2019) to register a 22% rise compared with last year’s corresponding period, figures released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization show.
Iran's cement and clinker were exported to 37 countries, with 10 countries accounting for 78% of the total volume.
Cement and clinker are raw materials used in cement production.
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Russia, according to Secretary of Iran's Cement Association Abdolreza Sheikhan, are major destinations for Iranian cement, while Iraq, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, India, the UAE, Kenya, China and Oman are among the main buyers of Iranian clinker.
The average price of exports stood at $18.3 per ton during the period under review, considerably lower compared to $33.9 during last year’s similar period, marking a 46.02% year-on-year decline.
According to the report, the sharp decline is rooted in the fact that the share of clinker in exports has increased to 52% during the eight months from 43% in last year's corresponding period.
The IMIDRO report, which reviews cement and clinker exports since the beginning of last Iranian year (March 2018-19) up until the eight month of the current Iranian year, also shows exports hit the lowest level in the month ending Oct. 22, 2018, with 887,000 tons, while it hit the highest level in the current year’s second Iranian month (ended May 21, 2019) with 1.95 million tons.
The IMIDRO report, which reviews cement and clinker exports since the beginning of last Iranian year (March 2018-19) up until the eight month of the current Iranian year, shows exports hit the highest level in the second Iranian month (ended May 21, 2019) with 1.95 million tons
In terms of average export price, the lowest point since the beginning of last Iranian year (March 21, 2018) was in the current year’s seventh month (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) at $17.3, while the highest level was in last year’s first month (March 21-April 20, 2018), at $39.7.
According to Deputy Industries Minister Jafar Sarqeini, Iran aims to increase its cement production capacity to 100 million tons by 2021 and to 120 million tons by the end of the 20-year Vision Plan (2025).
Iran held on to its ranking as the world’s 10th biggest cement producer in 2018, although production decreased by 1.85% compared with 2017 to stand at 53 million tons, a report published by the United States Geological Survey says.
Based on the USGS report, the world’s top cement producers in 2018 were China (2.37 billion tons), India (290m tons), the US (88.5m tons), Turkey (84m tons), Vietnam (80m tons), Indonesia (67m tons), South Korea (56m tons), Japan (55.5m tons), Russia and Egypt (each with 55m tons), Iran (53m tons), Brazil (52m tons) and Saudi Arabia (45m tons). Other countries produced an aggregate of 756 million tons of cement in 2018.
Total global cement production in 2018 hit 4.1 billion tons, showing a 1.23% growth compared to the year before.
“Our production capacity stands at 87.5 million tons per year,” IRNA quoted Sheikhan as saying.
According to the official, Iran is the world’s sixth biggest exporter of cement chain products.
According to the USGS report, Iran’s capacity for clinker production in 2018 remained at 80 million tons, the same as in 2017. The country also had the sixth largest clinker production capacity in the world, sharing the spot with Russia.
China, India, the US, Vietnam and Turkey had the highest clinker production capacity in a descending order during 2018.
Following the dramatic rise in production costs, Iran’s Cement Employers Association raised cement prices by 37% as of June 27.
In a meeting held on June 26 by the association’s board of directors, it was decided to increase prices in order to sustain production and jobs.
