Iran exported 2.57Mt of cement and 1.83Mt of clinker in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar (20 March-21 July 2016), according to the Secretary of the Cement Industry Employers Association, Abdolreza Sheikhan. Domestic output by the country’s 70 cement plants reached 18.75Mt during this period.

In the past Iranian calendar year 1394 (ended on 19 March 2016), exports of cement and clinker stood at more than 15Mt, a 20 per cent decrease compared to the preceding year due to instability in neighbouring countries.

Abdolreza Sheikhan stated that the country had a production capacity of 75Mta of cement and clinker in 2014, making Iran the fourth major cement producer in the world, the third in Asia and the first among Middle Eastern countries. Within a decade Iran plans to reach production levels of 120Mta.