Iran’s copper cathode production in the first nine months (Mar 21 to Dec 22, 2020) of the Iranian calendar stood at 192,000mt, up by 9pc from the prior-year period, according to local media reports citing official data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).
In the Mar-Dec period, the country exported 80,000mt of copper cathode and cathode parts worth $512mn.
The data indicate that Iran’s metals sector is progressing in terms of production and export despite the sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iran’s copper cathode production, which stood at 250,000mt in the past Iranian calendar year, is expected to reach 280,000mt by the end of the current Iranian fiscal (March 2021).
The country has increased mineral exploration and wants to become self-reliant for metals.
Copper cathodes are used for making alloys such as brass, bronze, and steel alloy apart from wire and cable industries, manufacturing transformers, transport industry, electrical devices, and defense parts and equipment.