Iranian Market Produced 32.3 million Tyres Year-to-March

Khosrow Mahmoudian, secretary of the Iranian Tire Industry Guild Association, has told reporters that the industry produced 32.3 million tyres, weighing 221,206 tons, in the year to March 2006, according to Moj news agency.

He further said that tyre imports had grown following a remarkable increase in domestic car production, adding, however, that some 220,000 tons of the 250,000-260,000 ton annual demand for tyres is met domestically. “[The] tyre industry is a strategic industry which best serves the transportation sector,” he said.

According to the report some 76,025 tons of various kinds of tyres, excluding those used in aircraft and bicycles, worth $141 million, were imported in the period. He said imports have gone up by 14 and 7.6 per cent in terms of weight and value, respectively.

The official criticized the import tariff decisions, adding that the industry is faced with an increase in prices of raw materials, which it has to import. He said the industry is still waiting for a final decision on tyre imports.