Iranian
steel exports reached 59 countries around the world over the calendar year to
March 20, says a report which indicate that China bought nearly a third of all
shipments.
The Wednesday report by the
official IRNA news agency said that exports of Iranian steel products had
reached a total of 11.687 million metric tons (mt) over the past calendar year.
It said steel ingot shipments had
accounted for 7.678 million mt of all exports over the period, an increase of
more than 24% compared to the year to March 2021.
Exports of other steel products
rose by more than 20% in volume terms year on year in March to stand at 3.406
million mt, the report said, adding that sponge iron shipments had increased
25% over the same period to reach 1.055 million mt.
Iran
pistachio exports down 33% in year to March: IRICA
Figures in the report showed that
China had been responsible for 27.3% of all steel purchases from Iran over the
year to late March.
They showed that Iraq, Indonesia,
Thailand and the United Arab Emirates had bought nearly half of all Iranian
steel shipments over the same period.
Iran has seen a major surge in
activity in its mining and metals sector since the United States imposed
sanctions on the country’s exports of crude oil nearly four years ago.
Metals exports have accounted for
a major part of Iran’s foreign exchange revenues since 2019 when oil shipments
started to decrease because of US sanctions.