TEHRAN- Iran has manufactured 39,700 tons of tires during the first two months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-May 20), registering a 26.6-percent rise compared to the same period last year.

Based on the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry data, tire producers manufactured 1.837 million tons of tires weighing 15,943 tons during the first Iranian calendar month of Farvardin (March 20-April 19), IRNA reported.

Of the mentioned figure, 1.304 million is the number of passenger cars’ tires weighing 9,068 tons, which shows a 35-percent rise compared to the same month in the past year.

Some 85,892 van tires with a weight of 1,349 tons were manufactured in the first month of this year, indicating a one percent decline from the figure of the previous year’s same month.

Also, 3,265 bus tires weighing 52,074 tons were manufactured in Farvardin.

Manufacturing of the tires of agricultural machinery experienced a growth of 13 percent to stand at 23,653 tires with a weight of 1,325 tons.

Having the annual production capacity of 426,000 tons of tire, Iran accounts for 41 percent of tire output in the West Asian region, according to Mohsen Safdari, the deputy director of non-metal industries office of the Industry, Mining, and Trade Ministry.

According to him, 11 tire production units are active in the country creating jobs for 14,500 people.

He said 426,000 tons is the nominal capacity, while the real output is less than this figure as some units are working with 60-70 percent of their capacity.

“Iranian tire industry is dependent on foreign raw materials by 40 percent, so we are self-reliant by 60 percent in this field”, the official announced.

EF/MG