Iran first in sponge steel production in world: Minister

Yazd, Feb 4, IRNA – Iran is the first producer of sponge steel in the world, Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari said. “Sponge steel production in Iran was 19 million tons in 2013 when President Hassan Rouhani took office and it will surpass 21 million tons,” Shariatmadari said addressing the inauguration ceremony of a steel company in Yazd. “Iran with 33 million tons of crude steel production ranks 4th in the world,” he said, adding that Iran steel production will mount to 300m tons in three years. Iran copper production, which was zero at the beginning of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is now 400,000 tons. . Shariatmadari together with the First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and Head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran Ali Asghar Moonesan are in Yazd to inaugurate some industrial projects on the occasion of the 39th anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution and to attend administrative council of the province. 1378/IRNA