TEHRAN- During the past Iranian calendar month (ended on May 21) Iran Mercantile Exchange (IME) witnessed trade of 13,429,985 tons of commodities and 1,075 vehicles with a total trading value of almost $3 billion on its physical market, registering growths of 21.7 percent in value and 17.5 percent in volume of trades compared with the month before that.

As reported by the IME’s Public Relations and International Affairs Department, the exchange saw on both domestic and export pits of its oil and petrochemical trading floor, trade of 1,777,910 tons of commodities valued at nearly $860 million.

The IME's customers purchased on this floor 509,402 tons of bitumen, 421,000 tons of vacuum bottom, 418,260 tons of polymeric products, 184,000 tons of lube cut, 179,693 tons of chemicals, 37,840 tons of sulfur, 19,876 tons of oil, 12,098 tons of petroleum products, 1,670 tons of insulation, 1,000 tons of slop wax and 790 tons of feedstocks.

Moreover, the exchange saw trade of 11,506,598 tons of commodities and 1,075 vehicles worth more than $2 billion on its metals and minerals trading floor.

Items traded on this floor included 6,074,215 tons of cement, 2,778,000 tons of iron ore, 1,888,779 tons of steel, 748,100 tons of sponge iron, 36,030 tons of aluminum, 32,700 tons of copper, 5,305 tons of zinc, 2,000 tons of coke, 1,020 tons of molybdenum concentrate, 300 tons of cast iron, 60 tons of precious metals concentrate and 1,075 vehicles.

Last was the IME's side market on which the exchange traded 145,476 tons of commodities.

IME is one of the four major stock markets of Iran, the other three markets are Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE), Iran's over-the-counter (OTC) market known also as Iran Fara Bourse (IFB), and Iran Energy Exchange (IRENEX).

MA