TEHRAN- As announced by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation (IMIDRO), export from the country’s mining sector stood at 15.812 million tons worth $3.3 billion in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21).

IMIDRO put the figure at 13.717 million tons valued at $3.275 billion in the first quarter of the previous year.

Steel and steel products were the top exported commodities in this sector, followed by copper and its byproducts, sponge iron, aluminum and related items.

IMIDRO Managing Director Amir Khorrami-Shad said that his organization managed to complete and put into operation more than 50 mining projects since the beginning of the current government administration (August 2021).

“This organization, together with its affiliated and subsidiary companies, has succeeded in completing more than 50 mining and mineral processing projects throughout the country since the beginning of the 13th government,” Khorrami-Shad said on Wednesday.

According to the official, the mentioned projects have been in various areas including the chains of copper, steel, gold, and aluminum, as well as infrastructural projects like road construction, electrification, and wharf post in different parts of the country.

He noted that the completion of the said projects has created direct jobs for more than 3,088 people while offering indirect jobs for over 11,087 persons.

Having 81 different types of minerals, Iran is one of the top 10 mineral-rich countries across the globe. In this regard, the Iranian government has been seriously pursuing several programs for promoting the mining sector as a major contributor to the country’s economic growth.

Iran's proven iron ore reserves are 2.7 billion tons, while the country’s copper reserves are 2.6 billion tons. The country also has 11 million tons of zinc reserves.

The total proven reserves of Iran's mines are estimated at about 60 billion tons, which is expected to reach more than 100 billion tons with the implementation of the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry’s exploration programs over 500,000 square kilometers of new mineral zones.

MA