TEHRAN- Iran produced 13.210 million tons of crude steel in the first nine months of 2016, with 8 percent rise from 12.231 million tons in the same period last year, the World Steel Association (WSA) reported.

It is while the world’s steel production fell 0.5 percent to 1.197 billion tons in the mentioned time compared to 1.203 billion tons in the first nine months of 2015.

The WSA’s latest report also put Iran’s crude steel output at 1.588 million tons in September 2016, showing 18.8 percent growth from 1.337 million tons in September 2015.

The country’s steel production stood at 16.110 million tons in 2015, indicating 1.4 percent fall from 2014.

As a major steel producer in the region, Iran boosted its steel mills across the country in recent years, as central Isfahan and southwestern Khuzestan provinces remain the major steel producers.

According to WSA, Iran was the biggest producer of crude steel in the Middle East in 2013. The country’s rank was 14th in the world in 2014.

MA/MG