Iran’s Monthly Output of Aluminum Ingots More Than 20,000T

Two giant Iranian aluminum companies have produced more than 20,000 tons of ingots in the first month of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21 – April 21).

Production of aluminum ingots in Iranian Aluminum Company (IRALCO) and Al-Mahdi Aluminum Corporation exceeded 20,400 tons in the time period.

According to statistics, Iranian Aluminum Company (IRALCO) accounted for about 75 percent of the country’s total aluminum production volume.

The three large aluminum production companies of IRALCO, Hormozal and Al-Mahdi produced about 15,297, 2,625 and 2,493 tons of aluminum ingot respectively in the same period.

Also, Iranian Alumina Company in Jajarm, North Khorasan province, produced 18,259 tons of alumina power [raw material needed for producing aluminum] in the same period, showing a 11 percent decline as compared to the last year’s corresponding period.

The report put the total exports value of mining and mineral sector in the past year (ended March 20, 2019) at more than $9.226 billion.

Early in March, Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri underlined Washington's failure in sanctions against Iran's metal industries.

"The US was after metal sanctions against Iran but it failed to trouble the country's industries," Jahangiri said, addressing a ceremony in the Northeastern city of Semnan on March 09.

He added that the country's defense ministry has also made good progress in increasing the missile capability and supplying the needs.

Elsewhere, Jahangiri referred to enemies' attempts to introduce Iran as a problem in the region, saying, "Iran is part of the regional solutions and it helps the resolution of problems and establishment of security."

"Today, everybody has admitted that Iran is one of the world's stable centers," he said.

Last August, the US reenacted its secondary sanctions against Iran’s steel and aluminum products, gold and precious metals, graphite and coal to choke off the country’s vital revenue streams.

Further sanctions were imposed in November to target its lifelines in the oil, energy and shipping sectors, leading to a drop by several hundred thousand barrels per day in oil exports.

However, the metals industry has taken it all in its stride and even been boosted and steel exports have become highly competitive on world markets.

According to CEO of Tehran-based AASIM Consulting Group Mohsen Parvan, Iran's steel exports this year which ends March 21 are set to equal last year's record of over 9 million tons.

"Iran has so far exported 6 million tons of steel in this Iranian year, similar to the previous year. At least half is semi-finished products such as billet and slab," he said.