TEHRAN- Iran imported three million tires of heavy vehicles during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-September 22), IRIB quoted Mohammadreza Ganji, the head of Iranian Tire Industry Association, as saying on Tuesday.

Last week, Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Reza Rahmani announced that a truck tire manufacturing plant will be inaugurated in the country next month to meet 25 percent of the domestic requirement.

“We are currently importing 70 percent of our required truck tires; but five manufacturing plants have been planned to reduce the imports. Putting the first plant into operation next month, we will achieve 55 percent self-reliance in terms of this product”, the minister further said.

“We have taken several serious steps in terms of domestic production and self-reliance and the first one is to prevent from import of the products that can be produced inside the country”, Rahmani mentioned.

The minister has recently said that relying on domestic production has saved €412 million for the country over the past six months in which six desks have been held on the matter.

He said the mentioned desks are focused on automotive, petrochemicals, mining, electricity, electronics and telecommunications industries.

The official also noted that preparations have been made for holding seven more desks for promoting domestic production in the fields of electricity, electronics and telecommunications, petrochemicals, home appliances, utilities, rail and auto industries which will save the country another €490 million.

Improving and boosting domestic production has been one of the major strategies that Iran has been following in the past two years in order to increase its independence.

To this end, Iranian government has put supporting domestic producers atop agenda in the current year.

In late November, Rahmani had said that relying on domestic production will save $10 billion for the country in the next two years.

MA/MA