Minews - Iran a force in cement industry

(Minews) - A production capacity of 70 million tons of cement per year makes Iran the fourth largest manufacturer in the world and the largest in the Middle East. With the fastest cement industry growth rate on the planet, Iran will soon surpass the United States, currently the third largest producer.

Iran exports cement to around 24 countries. The main importers of its cement are Iraq (63 percent), Turkmenistan (7 percent), and Azerbaijan (4 percent). Lately, Afghanistan has also become a larger purchaser. And this has Pakistani manufacturers worried.

Aizaz Mansoor Sheikh, chairman of the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association, blames U.S. sanctions for surplus Iranian capacity. The availability of cheaper Iranian cement threatens Pakistani manufacturers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iranian cement is reaching Balochistan, a province in Pakistan’s southwest, through informal channels and is priced lower than locally-produced cement. Pakistani exports to Afghanistan have since declined by 10 percent.