IRan

Iran: Cement exports from Iran increased to over 9.3Mt in the first 11 months of its current calendar year, which ended on 19 February 2012, marking a 17% rise compared to the same period of the previous year. Exports of clinker stood at 1.5Mt in the same period of time.

Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mehdi Ghazanfari announced that, with the implementation of new projects, the country's cement capacity could reach 110Mt/yr by the end of 2015.

Paraguay: Paraguayan officials have asked for Iranian assistance in building a cement plant. The issue was raised during a meeting between Paraguayan Parliament Speaker Victor Bogado and Iran's envoy to the country's capital Asuncion, Hojjatollah Soltani.

At the meeting Bogado noted that although a private sector Paraguayan company owns the Calicia mines, which are sufficient for producing cement for two centuries, his country required Iran's expertise to build a cement production plant. He reminded fellow attendees that at present Paraguay owns several small and medium-size cement production plants, but that it still imports cement from abroad.

Iran has in recent years expanded friendly ties with Latin America. Since taking office in 2005, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has expanded Iran's cooperation with many Latin American states, including Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba. Ahmadinejad voiced Tehran's readiness to expand all-out ties and cooperation with Asuncion to his Paraguayan counterpart Fernando Lugo Mendez in March 2011.

Iran: Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) has announced that Iran produced 23.41Mt of cement in the first four months of the current Iranian year (21 March 2011 to 22 July 2011) showing a 19% rise compared with the same period in 2010.

The report added that Iranian companies produced 6.37Mt in Tir (4th month in the solar calendar, 22 June 2011 – 22 July 2011). Mohammad Hassan Pourkhalil, the secretary of the Cement Industry Contractors Union, stated that Iran exported 0.94Mt of cement in this month. Pourkhalil added that Iran's exports of cement and clinker surpassed 3.40Mt from 21 March to 22 July, showing a 14% growth compared with the same period in 2010.

In June 2011 Iran launched two new cement factories in the provinces of West Azerbaijan and Golestan. Khoy cement factory, which cost USD140m, has the capacity to produce more than 1Mt/yr. Galikesh cement factory, which employs some 210 workers and cost about USD165m, has the capacity to produce more than 3,400t/day.