Saman Cement's MD angered by Iraq's high import duties

The managing director of Saman Cement Co, in Kermanshah, West Iran, has said that Iraq's high import duties on cement has put the Iranian cement industry in crisis, reports the Tasnim News Agency.

Shahryar Geravandi, the managing director of Saman Cement Co said: "The new policy of the Iraqi government to increase import cement duties has put [Iranian] cement factories in danger, and domestic cement factories are now facing surplus product."

Geravandi added that importing to new markets would be uneconomical because of high transportation costs. He emphasised the need for the government's support for cement industries.

"The government has not yet provided these supports, and the price [of Iranian cement] at the destination is so high that cement producers cannot compete with other countries," he said.