TEHRAN- Manufacturing of washing machine increased 150.7 percent in Iran during the first two months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-May 20), compared to the same period of time in the past year, IRNA reported.

As reported, 121,200 washing machines were manufactured during the two-month period of this year.

As announced by the deputy industry, mining, and trade minister for industry affairs, Iranian producers have indigenized the knowledge for manufacturing 60 percent of the country’s home appliance needs.

Speaking in the inauguration ceremony of a home appliance production unit on June 11, Mehdi Sadeqi Niaraki said the development of domestic production in the home appliance industry has been very significant so that nearly 70 percent of the small home appliances are currently made by domestic producers.

Underlining the increase in the production of home appliances during the first two months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-May 20), the official said the production of washing machines has increased from 48,000 units in the previous year to 121,000 units this year.

He further mentioned the upward trend of the production of home appliances in the previous calendar year 1398 and noted that despite the restrictions created by the U.S. this industry’s production capacity increased 10 percent in 1398 compared to its preceding year.

Based on Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry data, in the previous year, 1,168,700 refrigerators and freezers were produced in the country, an increase of 7.8 percent compared to the preceding year 1397 (ended on March 20, 2019), while domestic companies produced 732,200 washing machines, to register a 32-percent increase year on year.

Also, the production of coolers increased by 6.3 percent to 904,900 units during the said period.

According to the official, the increase in the production of home appliances was achieved in a situation where two international companies (LG and Samsung) which held nearly 80 percent of Iran’s market reduced their production in the country and left Iran under U.S. pressures.

South Korea’s LG Electronics and Samsung have ended their presence in the Iranian market since the beginning of 2020, abiding by the U.S. pressures for cutting ties with one of their biggest markets.

The departure of the Asian companies from the Iranian market created a new opportunity for domestic companies to, once again, come to the spotlight for showcasing their capabilities and benefit from a market that belongs to them.

As the past Iranian calendar year of 1398 was named the year of "Pickup in Production" by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade defined several major plans for supporting domestic production in various areas including home appliances.

The ministry set a target of manufacturing 1,000 refrigerators, 800,000 washing machines, and 300,000 gas fireplace stoves for the mentioned year.

Since the import of many products of this group has been banned, the government support could be an opportunity for domestic manufacturers to promote their products, something which will lead not only to self-reliance but also to the production of products with higher quality which will create export markets.

MA/MA