Page 44 - IRANRptSep19

Tajikistan Turkey and Pakistan are along with Iran members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) established in 1985.
According to Iranian official statistics, some 7.8mn tourists travelled to Iran in the 2018-2019 Persian calendar year (ended March 20), but the numbers of medical tourists cannot be fully ascertained as thousands would have entered the country on a visa-free entry basis.
9.1.11 Metallurgy & mining sector news
In the first five months of 2019, Iran’s steel mills produced a total of 10.62mn tonnes of raw steel, Financial Tribune reported on July 8.
The five-month figures are 5.5% more year-on-year (y/y), according to World Steel Association (WSA) statistics.
Iran has been accused of dumping cheap steel on the international market for several years due to its low production costs. Meanwhile, Iranian metal exports are also a target of US sanctions , with the Trump administration placing exports from Iran under restrictions on May 8.
According to the Brussels-based international trade organisation for the steel industry, Iran’s production in May rose by 3.8% y/y to 2.23mn tonnes.
Iran's world rating remains unchanged, the figures suggest, despite the US sanctions imposed in May.
Overall, the country is in 10th place among the largest producers of raw steel in the world.
According to the new report, the country is located between Brazil (ninth place) with 14.02 million tonnes and Italy (11th place) with 10.47 million tonnes.
Iran’s steel companies produce much of their output for local delivery, including to auto manufacturing and machinery production customers.
However, with the recent collapse of the Iranian rial against hard currencies, foreign buyers saw their opportunity and stepped up their purchases before US sanctions snapped back into place in early August.
9.1.12 Renewable energy sector news
Iran's enriched uranium stockpile has passed the 300-kilogram limit under the 2015 nuclear deal an "informed source" said, Tass citing Fars News Agency reported on July 1.
Under the nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran’s low-enriched uranium should not exceed a 202.8kg limit. This latest admission now brings Tehran technically in breach of its obligations, if the United Nation's latterly confirms the amount.
Officials in Iran said in recent hours that the country’s nuclear programme was on track to pass the enriched uranium limit, hinting at the move being made after frustrations by the Iranian leadership at Europe's flipflopping at their obligations of sanctions relief as part of the JCPOA.
Tehran’s move to breach the agreement follows that of the United States which formally ejected from the deal in May last year and has placed increasingly tougher sanctions on Tehran in recent months.
"As we announced when we said our steps would continue, the stockpile has passed 300 kg," the source said to the Iranian news agency.
The unnamed person said the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was aware of the direction of Iran’s uranium enrichment earlier in the week while measuring the stockpile.
The enrichment announcement, where if it surpassed a level of 3.6% fissile material could eventually allow Iran to build up enough highly-enriched
44 IRAN Country Report September 2019 www.intellinews.com