TEHRAN – The head of the Iranian Association of Detergent, Hygiene, and Cosmetics Industries (DHCI) said on Thursday that the country has been able to export sanitary and hygienic products to the European and American markets despite the restrictions created by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Despite all the problems caused by the pandemic and the sanctions, the production of such products is sufficient in the country, and some companies have even exported to the markets of the United States, Canada, and Europe,” Bakhtiar Alam-Beygi told IRNA.

According to Alam-Beygi, the production of the mentioned products in the country increased by 10 percent in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20).

Domestic producers managed to export over $117 million worth of sanitary and hygienic products in the first 10 months of the previous Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2020-January 19, 2021), the official said.

He mentioned the decline of the said products’ exports due to the special conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic and the U.S. sanctions and said: “In previous years we were able to export over $1 billion worth of such products.”

“Although, in addition to the neighboring countries and other CIS nations, Iranian companies have also been able to export their products to the U.S., Canada, and EU, but sanctions restrictions have made it difficult for them to boost their exports and transfer their revenues,” Alam-Beygi added.

The official further mentioned some of the problems that the production units active in this sector are currently facing in the country, saying that supply of raw materials especially petrochemical products, and also liquidity problems are the two main challenges that the producers are currently struggling with.

Iranian Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry has been following new strategies for supporting the country’s producers in order to decrease reliance on imports and promote exports in various sectors.

Earlier this year, Industry Minister Alireza Razm Hosseini had said that the country’s idle hygiene and sanitary production units should be revived to meet the domestic needs and to boost the export of such products to help other countries.

EF/MA