Bimonthly export of minerals, mining products surpasses $2b

New data released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) show that major Iranian producers of minerals and mining products exported 9.99 million tons worth $2.16 billion during the first two months of the current Iranian year, registering a 57% and 20% year-on-year rise in tonnage and value respectively.

Steel manufacturing chain products (iron ore, semi-finished and finished steel) topped the list of exports in terms of value with an aggregate of $1.09 billion, followed by iron ore pellets worth $200.9 billion and copper and related products worth $135.6 billion.

In terms of tonnage, cement and clinker topped the list with 1.99 million tons. Steel came next with 1.98 million tons, followed by pellet with 1.84 million tons.

Exports of direct-reduced iron (DRI) saw the biggest jump in terms of value (615,839%) to reach $54.4 million, followed by iron ore concentrate with $106.5 million (up 2,076%) and iron ore granule with $27 million (up 680%).

Exports of DRI had the highest growth in terms of weight (407,052%) with 203,580 tons. It was followed by titanium (up 27,1238%) with 10 tons and iron ore concentrate (up 2,247%) with 1.17 million tons.

IMIDRO’s statistics pertain to heavyweight producers only and does not take into account exports by small-scale mining companies. Therefore, overall exports from Iran are higher than the figures cited above.

The IMIDRO report also shows imports related to the mining industry and mineral products stood at 751,000 tons worth $726 million during the same period registering a 30% increase in weight and a 17% rise in value compared with last year’s same period.

The steel category also topped the list of imports in terms of value with $241.2 million, followed by coal and coke worth $114.3 million and ferroalloys worth $50.3 million.

Coke and coal had the highest volume of imports in terms of weight with 262,570 tons, followed by steel with 190,230 tons and alumina powder with 72,160 tons.

The value of lead imports saw the biggest jump (up 1,638%) with $3.4 million. It was followed by mica (1,607%) worth $300,000 and precious metals and stones (1,546%) worth $100,000.

Mica products also had the highest growth of imports in terms of weight (94,394%) with 370 tons, followed by lead (6,979%) with 1,890 tons and chrome (202%) with 1,540 tons.

Heavyweight Iranian producers of minerals and mining products exported 48.68 million tons worth $12.23 billion in the last Iranian year that ended March 20 to register a 3.5% rise in tonnage, but a 7.6% fall in value compared with the year before, according to IMIDRO.

Imports related to the mining industry and mineral products stood at 4.48 million tons worth $4.99 billion in fiscal 2022-23 registering a 3.9% increase in weight and a 27.5% rise in value compared with fiscal 2021-22.