More than 9.25 million metric tons of cement was exported during the past 8 months, said the secretary of Iranian Cement Industry Employers Association.
“The export suffered an 8% decline this Iranian calendar year (to end March 20) mainly due to insecurity in Iraq”, said Abdolreza Sheikhan at the seventh international exhibition of cement and concrete, IRNA reported.
The association secretary, however, said entering the cement markets in Russia and a few African countries would increase the export by 1.5 million metric tons a year.
Earlier, the minister of industry, mine, and trade, Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh, urged the cement sector to reach 20 million metric tons in export by the Iranian yearend.
The country’s cement production capacity is currently 80 million metric tons per year and it is expected to hit 120 million metric tons by 2025, according to the minister.
More than 20 million metric tons of cement were exported last Iranian calendar year (ended March 20, 2014).
During the first eight months of the Iranian year (ending November 21), 13.4 million tons of cement and clinker was exported, indicating a 6.6% growth compared to the similar period last year which is mainly due to the increase in clinker export.
Cement production during the first three quarters of the current Iranian year topped 51 million metric tons while only 14.5 million metric tons was exported to countries such as Iraq, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Russia. Iraq had the largest share with 51%.
