TEHRAN — The 32nd International Exhibition of Detergents, Cosmetics, Hygienic and Cellulose Products (Iran Beauty and Clean 2025) kicked off at Tehran’s Permanent International Fairground, bringing together over 240 domestic and foreign companies.

According to IRIB, 100 companies from 16 countries — including the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Spain, France, Russia, Italy, Germany, China, India, and Turkey — are participating in this year’s event. The presence of foreign firms, particularly from Europe, has increased by 15 percent compared to the previous edition.

Ali Moradi, head of the exhibition’s organizing committee, said showcasing new products is one of the key priorities of the event. Other main goals include attracting domestic and foreign investment, boosting production, creating opportunities for scientific research into consumer preferences and competing products, pre-selling goods, and identifying new sales representatives.

Moradi also highlighted the importance of engaging with the latest global scientific and research standards, fostering employment, enhancing interaction between producers and consumers, and promoting domestic capabilities in the sector. He emphasized the potential to discover untapped standards within Iran.

On the export front, Moradi noted progress in the export of raw materials used in detergents — such as ingredients for cleaning agents, shampoos, laundry powders, dishwashing and handwashing liquids — though he acknowledged that export figures remain modest.

Iran’s installed production capacity for detergents stands at 4.5 million tons per year, but only 35 to 40 percent of that is utilized, resulting in an annual output of around 1.5 million tons — more than double domestic demand. Despite this, only 400,000 tons worth about $250 million are exported annually, indicating underperformance relative to the industry’s potential.

In addition, Iran exports $350 million in cosmetics and hygiene products each year, according to Moradi. The country hosts around 250 detergent manufacturers and 1,850 cosmetics and hygiene product factories.

Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asian countries are Iran’s main export markets for detergents.

EF/MA