Iran's private sector produced 2.8 million tons of steel

TEHRAN,Nov. 17 (MNA)-- The Iranian private steel production companies produced 2.8 tons of various steel products in seven months, ending October 2011. The steel products include 205,000 tons of girder, 1.42 million tons of round bar, 828,000 tons of sheet, and 400,000 tons of other steel products. According to the World Steel Association (WSA), Iran was the second leading steel producer in the Middle East in 2010 after Turkey. Iran has the capacity to produce 20 million tons of steel annually. Earlier this week, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) announced that the country’s steel and steel products exports have surged by 55 percent in the seven-month period ending October 20, 2011, a report said. According to the IMIDRO, the steel exports of its subsidiaries exceeded $305 million. The figure shows a 55-percent growth over the corresponding figure last year. The report added that the country exported about USD 196 million worth of steel products during the same period last year. During the time span, Iran's major export items --warm products and round bar-- earned USD 196 million and USD 53 million for the country respectively. According to the World Steel Association (WSA), Iran produced over 8.768 million tons of crude steel during the first eight months of the year 2011. The latest WSA report said Iran's crude steel output has increased by 13.1 percent during the first and second quarters compared with the same periods last year. The report added that Iranian companies had produced more than one million tons of crude steel in August 2011, showing a 10.5 percent increase over the same period in 2010. According to WSA, Iran was the second leading steel producer in the Middle East in 2010 after Turkey. The main steel mills of the country are located in Isfahan and Khuzestan provinces. Iran is among the 15 major mineral-rich countries of the world and exports its industrial and mineral products to 159 countries, including Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Afghanistan.