TEHRAN – Iran’s production of household appliances increased by nine percent in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20 to July 21) compared to the same period last year, according to an official at the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade.
Mohammad-Mehdi Baradaran, Deputy Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade in charge of state-owned industries, also announced that Iran’s export of household appliances increased by 11 percent in the first four months of this year compared to the previous year.
The home appliance industry is one of the industries that has experienced significant production growth in recent years. It can be said that Iranian manufacturers have been able to capture a considerable market share in the production of refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, evaporative coolers and televisions, and the production status of small home appliances is also excellent.
In recent years, the Iranian government has pursued a new strategy to support domestic production in order to mitigate the impact of US sanctions while reducing the economy’s dependence on oil revenues.
The home appliance sector was one of the pioneers in this regard and, like many other sectors, the production of home appliances has seen a significant increase in the last two years, with production in this sector increasing by 18 percent in the last Iranian year (which ended on March 19).
In mid-June, the Secretary General of the Association of Household Appliances Manufacturers in Iran stated that household appliance production increased by 18.2 percent in the past Iranian calendar year compared to the previous year.
According to Omid Fazeli-Nia, production of household appliances rose to 19.5 million units last year, up from 16.5 million units the year before.
Back in January, the chairman of the Association of Household Appliances Manufacturers in Iran stated that the production of household appliances had increased from eight million units to over 17 million units in recent years.
Alireza Mohammadi Daniali said the industry had grown by 25 percent.
Mentioning some of the challenges currently facing home appliance manufacturers, the official said, “Manufacturers are facing issues such as prescribed prices, lack of liquidity, lack of supply of foreign currency and exports, which need to be addressed and resolved.”
According to the head of the Customs Administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRICA), the country exported goods (excluding oil) worth 17.5 billion US dollars in the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year, representing a growth of 8.0 percent compared to the previous year.
Mohammad Rezvanifar put the total value of the country’s non-oil trade in the four months mentioned at $36 billion.
According to the official, Iran imported non-oil products worth $18.5 billion, about 6.0 percent less than in the same period last year.
The country’s trade balance showed a deficit of USD 1.0 billion in the four months mentioned, which represents a significant decline compared to the same period last year.
In the first four months of last year, the country exported non-oil goods worth nearly $16 billion, while imports during the period were around $19.5 billion. The country’s trade balance during this period was negative at $2.5 billion.
MA
