TEHRAN- Iran's major steel producers exported over 2.78 million tons of steel during the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21), which was 128 percent more than the figure of the same period of time in the past year.

The mentioned producers exported over 916,236 tons of steel in the third month of this year, which was 104 percent higher than the figure of the third month of the previous year, IRNA reported.

Meanwhile, the highest amount of steel exports was made by Khuzestan Steel Company with 523,321 tons, followed by Esfahan Steel Company with 315,844 tons and Mobarakeh Steel Company with 267,861 tons in the second and third places.

Iran’s export of steel during the previous Iranian calendar year 1399 (ended on March 20) declined 13.1 percent compared to the figure for the preceding year, data released by the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA) showed.

Based on the mentioned data, the country exported nine million tons of steel in the previous year while the exports in the Iranian calendar year 1398 stood at 10.362 million tons.

According to ISPA, over 2.839 million tons of steel products were also exported in the mentioned year, registering an 18-percent decline year on year.

As ISPA data indicated, the exports of steel products, intermediate steel and sponge iron all declined last year, and despite significant output growth and the demand decline in domestic construction sector, the exports of the mentioned products did not increase due to the pandemic.

Iran is planning to produce 32 million tons of steel in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 2022) to register a 27.7 percent rise compared to the figure for the previous year.

Based on the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry data, Iranian steel companies managed to produce 28.374 million tons of steel in the previous Iranian calendar year.

According to the ministry’s programs for the current year, the production of 23 million tons of steel products has been also put on the agenda, while last year 25 million tons of such products were manufactured.

Sponge iron production is expected to reach 33 million tons in the current year to register a 2.5 million tons rise compared to the previous year’s 30.5 million tons.

Based on the Industry Ministry data, major Iranian steel producers managed to produce over 22.54 million tons of steel ingots in the previous calendar year, registering an eight percent rise year on year.

Mobarakeh Steel Company had the best performance with a production of 9.8 million tons of the mentioned product while the highest production growth was registered by Sirjan Steel World Company with 141 percent growth.

Iran is currently the tenth largest steelmaker in the world and is estimated to climb to seventh place by the Iranian calendar year 1404 (March 2025).

The country produced 7.5 million tons of crude steel in Q1 2021, to maintain its place as the 10th biggest steel producer in the first three-month of 2021, Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) announced referring to the data released by the World Steel Association (WSA).

EF/MA