Rise in Iran's Mineral Output

An analysis of the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade's data shows growth in the production of crude steel, finished steel products, iron ore, coal concentrate and sheet glass in the last Iranian year (March 2016-17) compared to the year before.

Coal concentrate has the highest growth among the above-mentioned products with 10.6%, rising from 1.113 million tons in March 2015-16 to 1.232 million tons last year, IRNA reported.

Crude steel output had the second highest gain year-on-year, going from 16.538 million tons to over 18 million tons, indicating a 9% increase.

Some 31.711 million tons of iron ore were produced last year, 1.284 million tons more than the year before, seeing a 4.2% increase YOY.

Production of steel products (17.681 million tons) and sheet glass (727,000 tons) witnessed a 1.4% and 0.1% growth respectively.

According to deputy minister of industries, mining and trade, Jafar Sarqeini, Iran's mineral production currently stands at 400 million tons per year.

He put cement output at 83 million tons per annum.

On the export front, Iran's total mineral products' shipments last year registered a 17% and 38% increase in value and volume respectively year-on-year, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration.

Over 57.64 million tons of mineral commodities worth more than $7 billion, including steel products, ferroalloys, copper, aluminum, cement, lead, zinc, metals, gems, coal, coke, chromium, molybdenum, titanium, mica, nickel, antimony and different types of stone were exported last year.