TEHRAN- Iran produced 12.231 million tons of crude steel in the first nine months of 2015, the World Steel Association (WSA) said in its latest report. 

The country’s crude steel output rose 1.4 percent in the nine-month period from 12.066 million tons in the same period of time in 2014, according to the report.

It is while the world crude steel production for the countries reporting to the WSA reached 1212 million tons in the first nine months of this year, showing 2.4 percent drop from 1242 million tons in the same time last year.

Iran ranked the fourteenth among the other world’s steel producing countries during the first nine months of the current year.

Meanwhile, the country produced 1.337 million tons of steel in September 2015, indicating 6.4 percent drop from 1.429 million tons in September 2014.

According to Iranian Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade, Iran’s crude steel output is projected to increase to 18 million tons in the current Iranian calendar year. The figure is to reach 55 million tons by 2025.   

Iran was the biggest producer of crude steel in the Middle East in 2013. The country’s rank was 14th in the world in 2014, according to the WSA.

Iranian Deputy Industry, Mining, and Trade Minister Mehdi Karbasian said in July that the country’s annual crude steel exports is planned to reach four million tons in the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21.

He put the weight of Iran’s crude steel exports at 2.5 million tons in the past calendar year.

MA/