TEHRAN - Iran’s exports of steel ingots and steel products experienced a 51 percent hike in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-August 21) compared to the same period of time in the past year, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, steel ingots and steel products exports in the said period reached 2.31 million tons, registering a 51 percent rise from 1.52 million tons during the same time in the preceding year.
As the World Steel Association (WSA) reported, Iran produced 1.351 million tons of crude steel in July 2016, with 6.2 percent rise from 1.273 million tons in the same month in the previous year.
According to the WSA’s latest report, the country stood at the 14th place among top world’s steel producers in July, falling from its rank of 13th in the two preceding months.
The country’s steel production stood at 16.110 million tons in 2015, indicating 1.4 percent fall from 2014.
As a major steel producer in the region, Iran boosted its steel mills across the country in recent years, as central Isfahan and southwestern Khuzestan provinces remain the major steel producers.
According to WSA, 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.

HJ/MA