Iran’s sponge iron exports, imports to equal
ILNA: Lack of attention to domestic needs and improper management were the main reasons for the import of an equal amount of sponge iron in this period, Mohammad Fatemian, director general of the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade said.
“Exports are indicative of a country’s capacities. However, revenues and monetary resources earned through mineral exports are required for establishing infrastructures, ” he said.
Sponge iron is produced through direct reduction of iron ore and has a purity rate of up to ۹۵ percent. It is the best option for replacing iron tailings in steel production units.
Currently, seven sponge iron production units are operating nationwide with a production capacity of ۱۸ million tons per annum. With the completion of the semi - finished sponge iron production projects, the country’s capacity in this regard will amount to over ۱۹ million tons per year.
“The decline in housing construction in the country has reduced the use of steel products in Iran’s construction sector, ” he said.
“Today, effective measures are required to increase the export of steel products to strike a balance between domestic supply and demand. ”
Fatemian noted that the ministry puts emphasis on completing the chain of steel industry’s raw materials, which deserve special attention for boosting steel exports.
“As stipulated in the ۲۰۲۵ Vision, Iran’s steel output capacity is to reach ۵۵ million tons, ” he said.
Fatemian noted that the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade is preparing the country’s comprehensive steel plan.
During March ۲۰۱۳-۱۴, Iran produced ۱۵.۶ million tons of crude steel and ۱۶.۵ million tons of steel products. In this period, the country extracted ۳۳.۶ million tons of iron ore.
Iran’s iron ore resources stand at ۵.۱ billion tons, of which ۲.۸ billion tons are proven.
Iran ranks first in the Middle East in steel production and is followed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the region’s other steel producers.
Iran’s major steel mills are located in Isfahan and Khuzestan provinces.
Mobarakeh Steel Mill, with approximately ۴۷ percent of the market share, Khuzestan Steel Company with ۲۳ percent, Isfahan Steel Mill with ۲۰ percent and the Iran National Steel Industries Group with ۱۰ percent of the market share are the main srude steel producers of Iran.
Iran is among the ۱۵ major mineral - rich countries and exports industrial and mineral products to ۱۵۹ countries, including Iraq, China, India and Afghanistan.