Tehran Stock Exchange-listed mining companies had more than 2.76 quadrillion rials ($8.72 billion) in sales during the first five months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Aug. 22), registering a 21% year-on-year rise.
According to data released by Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization, Mobarakeh Steel Company saw the highest volume of sales during the period with 705.49 trillion rials ($2.22 billion), up 31% YOY.
MSC is the biggest steelmaker in Iran and the Middle East and North Africa region, accounting for about half of the country's steel production.
The National Iranian Copper Industries Company came next with more than 328.84 trillion rials ($1.03 billion), up 26% YOY.
NICICO is a leading copper producer in the Middle East and North Africa region and its mines hold close to 14% of Asia’s copper deposits and about 3% of global reserves.
It was followed by Chadormalu Mining and Industrial Company with more than 184.25 trillion rials ($582.14 million), up 8% YOY; Khouzestan Steel Company (Iran’s biggest steel exporter) with more than 181.16 trillion rials ($572.38 million), up 2% YOY; and Esfahan Steel Company with 166.47 trillion rials ($525.97), up 27% YOY.
The sales of mining firms in the fifth month of the year (July 23-August 22) hit 438.14 trillion rials ($1.38 billion), registering a 15% YOY fall.
Mobarakeh Steel Company also had the highest volume of sales during the month with 102.34 trillion rials ($323.33 million) down 18% YOY.
It was followed by NICICO with 46.65 trillion rials ($147.39 million), down 23% YOY.
Esfahan Steel Company came next with more than 33.06 trillion rials ($104.45 million), registering a 7% YOY growth; Golgohar Mining and Industrial Company with 28.08 trillion rials ($88.72 million), up 7% YOY; and Khouzestan Steel Company with 26.46 trillion rials ($83.6 million), down 24% YOY.
The IMIDRO report shows the approximate share of minerals and mining firms in the aggregate sales volume of all TSE-listed companies was 17% during the five-month period.
Exports Down 3%
Iran’s mining industry exported a total of 17.67 million tons of products worth $4.81 billion during the same period to register a 3% decrease in tonnage and a 5% fall in value year-on-year, IMIDRO said in another report.
Steel manufacturing chain products (iron ore, semi-finished and finished steel) topped the list of exports in terms of value with an aggregate of $2.21 billion, followed by copper and related products worth $716.5 million and aluminum products worth $481.6 million.
In terms of tonnage, cement and clinker topped the list with 5.37 million tons. The steel category came next with 3.71 million tons and was followed by pellet with 1.29 million tons.
Exports of pellet saw the biggest jump in terms of value (126% YOY) to reach $151 million, followed by aluminum with $481.6 million (up 92% YOY). Ferroalloys came next (up 85%) with $40.5 million.
Pellet export had the highest growth in terms of weight (98%) with 1.29 million tons. It was followed by aluminum products (up 77% YOY) with 186,000 tons and chrome (up 41% YOY) with 89,000 tons.
Mining industry exports amounted to $872 million in the fifth month of the current fiscal year (July 23-Aug. 22), registering a 2.9% decline year-on-year.
Steel manufacturing chain products accounted for 40% of the total mining exports during the period. It was followed by aluminum with 12% of the total exports, copper and downstream products and other mines and mining industries each with 11%, zinc with 7% and cement with 4%.
Imports Rise 34%
The IMIDRO report also shows imports in the mining industry stood at 1.64 million tons worth $1.77 billion during the five months to register a 7% growth in weight and a 34% rise in value compared with the same period of the year before.
The steel category also topped the list of imports in terms of value with $519.7 million, followed by coal and coke worth $398.3 million and ferroalloys worth $193.4 million.
Coke and coal had the highest volume of imports in terms of weight with 611,500 tons, followed by the steel category with 368,400 tons and alumina powder with 204,100 tons.
The value of precious stone imports saw the biggest jump (up 1,831% YOY with $400,000). It was followed by molybdenum with $800,000 (up 415% YOY) and zinc with $7.9 million (up 380% YOY).
The zinc category had the highest growth of imports in terms of weight with 14,000 tons (282%), followed by lead with 1,500 tons (2095%) and antimony with 1,000 tons (157%).
Mineral Diversity, Reserves
Iran is home to 81 types of minerals, with reserves totaling 37-40 billion tons, according to Alireza Shahidi, the head of the Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration of Iran.
“Construction materials, including gravel, rubble stones, sand and different types of stones, account for 62% of Iran’s mineral reserves, metal minerals constitute 10-15% of total reserves and the rest are non-metallic minerals,” he said.
According to the United States Geological Survey, Iran holds the world's largest zinc, ninth largest copper, 10th largest iron ore, fifth largest gypsum and barite, and 10th largest uranium reserves.
Overall, Iran is home to more than 7% of global mineral reserves.
