TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) – Keeping high quality standards as well as low import tariffs, Mobarakeh Steel Complex is now determined to join the World Trade Organization and compete with giant steel manufacturers, managing director of the complex said here Saturday.

World’s largest companies impose relatively high tariffs on their products although the production process does not cost much in their factories, Mahmoud Eslamian added. Last year, the Iranian steel industry manufactured almost 0.8 percent of the whole world production volume, he said, stressing, “Mobarakeh stood up among its domestic rivals with a total of 1.7 million tons.”

Eslamian also said that some 3.7 million tons of various types of steel products are annually imported to Iran, adding domestic manufacturers should seek to achieve high production standards in case they want to stay competitive and attract steel customers. ER/IS END MNA