Iran’s Spectacular Rise as Steel, Cement Producer/Exporter
By: Kayhan Int’l Staff Writer
From an importer of major vital products in 1979, Iran has become a major producer and exporter of a wide variety of industrial items.
Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran ranks 10th in the list of the world’s producers of steel.
Its steel factories currently turn out 32 million tons, with the overall capacity to double annual production to as many as 55 million tons in the near future.
According to officials of the ministry of heavy industries, investments have dramatically increased to the tune of three times this figure, placing Iran in the topmost echelons of world steel producers.
The Iranian steel industry has been constantly developing over the past years against all the pressures and obstacles created by outside forces like the illegal US sanctions and the coronavirus outbreak that has severely affected the performance of the world’s top producers.
This means the Islamic Republic is set to climb to the seventh place among the world’s top steel producers within a year.
Meanwhile, in another vital field of construction material, Iran’s cement production capacity has reached 90 million tons annually, with 85 percent of the required machinery and parts manufactured domestically.
Cement is a cornerstone of Iran’s construction and infrastructure sectors. In view of the abundance of raw materials required for cement production, such as limestone, clay, gypsum, quartz, etc., the future is bright.
Iran ranks eighth globally in cement production, although its position has fluctuated between sixth and seventh in the previous years.
According to officials, cement production could increase by at least 20 percent without the need for new facilities, aligning with environmental goals and energy conservation efforts.
The Islamic Republic has the potential to rise to the fifth place in global ranking in the production of cement, and once international trade barriers are resolved, exports will significantly increase.
These two vital construction materials, that is, steel and cement, have propelled Iran to the topmost world’s producers and exporters.