TEHRAN- As announced by the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iran exported 6,211 tons of garments worth $37 million during the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-October 22).

Morteza Emadi named Iraq, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan the major export destinations of Iranian garments in the mentioned seven months.

As previously announced by an official with the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, the value of exports from Iran’s clothing and textile industries in the previous Iranian calendar year 1400 (ended on March 20) increased by eight percent compared to the figure for the preceding year.

Afsaneh Mehrabi, the director-general of the Weaving and Garment Industries Department of the ministry, said that the weight of the exports from the mentioned sector also increased by six percent year on year.

Referring to the reviving of about 200 stagnant textile and clothing production units over the last three years, Mehrabi said: "Reviving of 405 idle units and establishing 138 new units is also on the agenda this year."

According to the official, production of some items in the textile and clothing industries increased by 12 percent in the mentioned year.

Mehrabian further stated that a significant part of the raw materials used in the garment and textile industry is produced inside the country, adding: “We are now almost self-sufficient in the supply of some raw materials, such as cotton yarns and only two percent of acrylic yarns are imported due to the need for color diversity, especially in export products,” she said.

She considered machinery as one of the important factors in the production of high-quality, competitive, and export-oriented products, and said: “In the textile and clothing industry, machinery must be upgraded and reconstructed at least once every 10 years.”

The textile industry in Iran has a long history and is one of the most important sectors for employment.

This industry has a high employment potential, and the amount of foreign currency investment to create a job in the textile industry is very low compared to some industries such as automotive.

The country’s Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry has targeted $84 million of garment and clothing exports by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2023).

As announced by a deputy with the ministry, the weight of exports from Iran’s clothing and textile industries increased by 12 percent in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-September 22), compared to the figure for the preceding year’s first half.

Mohammad-Mehdi Baradaran said the country’s petrochemical plants have increased their production of raw materials for the clothing industry and that has resulted in increasing the production of clothing and garments in the country.

“According to the agreements made with the Textile Industries Association, National Petrochemical Company (NPC) increased its production, which reduced the price of yarn. However, since the cost of production in the clothing industry is high, each of this industry’s chains must reduce their costs in order for the final product, which is clothing, to become more competitive [considering foreign commodities],” Baradaran said.

Referring to the job-creating potential of clothing production units, the official said: “In the current year, over 422,000 jobs have been created in various industries, and some clothing units have seen a 20 percent increase in employment.”

He considered the export of clothing and the competitiveness of this industry as one of its advantages and said: “We will not let this industry go stagnant due to imports.”

MA/MA