TEHRAN- Iran has manufactured 1.837 million tons of tires weighting 15,943 tons during the first Iranian calendar month of Farvardin (March 21-April 19), IRNA reported.

Of the mentioned figure, 1.304 million is the number of passenger cars’ tires weighting 9,068 tons, which shows a 35-percent rise compared to the same month in the past year.

Some 85,892 van tires with the weight of 1,349 tons were manufactured in the first month of this year, indicating one percent decline from the figure of the previous year’s same month.

Also, 3,265 bus tires weighting 52,074 tons were manufactured in Farvardin.

Manufacturing of the tires of agricultural machinery experienced a growth of 13 percent to stand at 23,653 tires with the weight of 1,325 tons.

Having the annual production capacity of 426,000 tons of tire, Iran accounts for 41 percent of tire output in the West Asian region, according to the deputy director of non-metal industries office of Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry.

Mohsen Safdari has said that 11 tire production units are active in the country creating jobs for 14,500 people.

He said 426,000 tons is the nominal capacity, while the real output is less than this figure as some units are working with 60-70 percent of their capacity.

“Iranian tire industry is dependent on foreign raw materials by 40 percent, so we are self-reliant by 60 percent in this field”, the official announced.

MA/MA