TEHRAN- Iran exported 4.4 million tons of cement and clinker in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20- July 21), Secretary of Cement Industry Employers Association Abdolreza Sheikhan told IRNA on Saturday.

From the said amount, some 2.57 million tons belong to exports of cement, he said.

Some of the 70 cement production factories across Iran produced 18.752 million tons of cement in the said time span, Sheikhan added.

As the official explained, exports of cement and clinker in the past Iranian calendar year 1394 (ended on March 19, 2016) stood at more than 15 million tons, registering a 20 percent decrease compared to its preceding year due to insecure conditions of neighboring countries. 
 
In 1393, the Islamic Republic could export 18.5 million tons of these products, 60 percent of which were exported to Iraq.

Being compared to the production level in 1393, Iran’s output of cement and clinker reached 60 million tons in 1394, showing a 12-13 percent decrease.

According to Sheikhan, with the capacity of producing 75 million tons of cement and clinker in 2014, Iran was the fourth major cement producer in the world, the third producer in Asia, and the first one among the Middle East countries.

The country plans to produce 120 million tons of cement per year in a decade. 

HJ/MA