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November
2003 / No. 26 |
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Achievement |
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Awarding Exemplary Exporters
October 21 marks Iran’s national day of
exports; and in continuation of the five-year tradition, 36 companies with
exemplary exports were praised and congratulated by the Iranian President
Mohammad Khatami with commendation plaques and cash prizes.
This year’s exemplary exporters were:
Ahjar Zagros Manufacturing & Commercial, Almahdi Aluminium Corporation, Bahman
Gasht Tour & Travel Agency, Iran Pharmaceutical Industries (Pharmieco), Marjan
Tile, Mirzazadeh Trading, Pamchal Asia, Sarcheshmeh Copper Investment, Merrat
International Trading Ltd., Novin Alloys Semnan, Mammut Industrial Group
Tehran, Behshahr Industrial, Yazd Baf, Arta Industrial Group, Tolypers, Ninoo
Industrial, Hoor Baher, Pars Tire, Momtaz Sahand Industrial Production,
Afroozkar Tabriz Leather, Doodeh Sanati Pars, Dasht Neshat, Payam Shoe
Manufacturing, Varziran, Takceram Tile Manufacturing, Mazinoor Lighting
Industries Inc., Faravardehaye Khavarmianeh Exporting, Fareed Shargh Trading,
Bushehr Atlas Trading, Toos Charme Shargh, Rishmak Product & Export, Ahmad
Rahimzadeh & Son’s Joint Venture, Mir Jalili Brothers Trading, International
Tohid, Dena Rahsaz Construction, and Shimbar.
During the ceremony speeches were
delivered by President Mohammad Khatami, and before him, Mohammad
Shariatmadari, Minister of Commerce.
The only way to save Iran’s economy is
by moving away from a single product trade (oil) towards trade
diversification; and there are many obstacles along the way. In the first six
months of Iran’s calendar year (from 21 March to 21 August 2003) the country’s
non-oil exports equaled $3.975 billion. From this figure $2.817 billion
related to the export of goods and $1.157 billion to the export of services.
This amount of export has realized 98.5% of the quantitative goals of the
Third Development Plan.
Exports in the first half of Iran’s
calendar year have enjoyed a 23% growth compared to exports in the same period
of the preceding year. The value of these exports has been the approximate
equivalent of all exports achieved throughout the entire year of 1997.
The makeup of non-oil exports has been
65.2% industrial and petrochemical products, 20.4% agricultural products,
10.5% hand-woven and handicrafts and 3.9% of exports related to mining
materials. This is while 46.5% of all service exports related to the tourism
sector, 7.7% to technical and engineering services, 45.3% was claimed from
transit and transportation of goods, and 0.5% related to other services.
The current year has seen the
implementation of 14 projects for the achievement of the export goals of the
Third Economic Development Plan. These projects include rewarding exports with
added value, a 10% reward for textile and leather exports, assisting
non-governmental export promotion funds, implementing a comprehensive plan for
promoting non-oil exports, expanding and strengthening export-orientated
production syndicates as well as developing export terminals.
In the three and half years that have
passed since the beginning of the Third Development Plan, $15.4 billion worth
of non-oil products have been exported outside the country, which adds up to
94.2% of the quantitative goals set out in the plan. This is while only 66%
and 58% of the goals set out in the first and second development plans were
realized.
Even though problems with bureaucracy
and legal deficiencies have been largely solved for the export sector and
exporters have been provided with a lot of facilities, there are still
obstacles in the way of entering big markets, most important of which are the
new markets emerging in Afghanistan and Iraq. If these issues are addressed
there will be a bright outlook for the country’s exports.
Another program which will be
implemented in the not-so-far future is the comprehensive plan for promoting
the country’s exports. The draft of this plan has been produced by the
secretariat of the High Export Council, and will come into effect once it has
been approved by the body.
This program projects the long-term
outlook of exports and the framework envisaged for this plan exceeds beyond
five years and consists of some fundamental structural reforms.
Some other programs which will be
implemented in the near future are the establishment of Iran’s International
Trade Promotion Organization, drafting a plan for creating strong
export-oriented companies, the continuation of policies encouraging exports
and changing direct subsidies into indirect subsidies and support. It is hoped
that each one of these undertaking will be a step in the direction of boosting
the country’s exports.
Leading the pack of the 36 exemplary
exporters, were the following companies.
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Pamchal Asia Company
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Managing Director: Majid Adeshi |
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Pamchal Asia was founded in 1994
with the aim of making optimal use of the wastes of raw products
eliminated from stockbreeding and poultry units by converting and
exporting them. Presently the company exports a hundred percent of its
products for industrial and animal feed purposes.
Pamchal Asia is active in a field
that promotes non-oil exports and gains hard currency for the country,
while previously the wastes were taken as useless things that should have
been destroyed at great economical and environmental cost, but in the
current situation these wastes are taken and processed for export to
target markets.
Pamchal Asia exports cow trachea,
sheep and cow testicle and tripe, cow pizzle, ox omasum, ox aorta,
reticulum, bovine nose cartilage, chicken paw and feet and gizzard. These
exports help relieve oil dependency and create new jobs and attend to new
markets. |
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Marjan Tile Co.
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Managing Director: Farzad Masoumi |
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Marjan Tile Co. was established in
1989 in Isfahan. In 1993 a production line—with an annual capacity of
200,000 square meters—was commissioned. When this was supplemented by the
efforts of the experienced specialists working in the company, as well as
the employment of the most modern machinery in this field, and utilization
of the best quality raw material, it was possible to reach a high standard
with a large variety in products and design, in a very short time.
The company has been very successful
in exports, having 35 to 45 percent of the production exported each year
since 1994. The ceramic tiles produced by the company are being
distributed in most of the West European countries, Canada, Australia,
Central Asian countries, African countries and Persian Gulf markets. |
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Almahdi Aluminum
Corporation (AAC) |
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Managing Director: Shahriar Taherpour |
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In March 1991, when AAC was
established in Bandar Abbas, the initial plan was for it to produce
220,000 tons of aluminum per year, with this figure being able to rise to
330,000 tons per year. The AAC is currently producing at an annual rate of
55000 tons, but will boost that figure to 110,000 tons of primary aluminum
with the completion of its first developmental phase by March 2004.
The company sees 90% of its monthly
production shipped off overseas; with countries such as India, China,
Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Italy, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam being
the main importers. The execution of Phase 2 is currently underway with
Almahdi’s Projects and Development Department concluding several contracts
in this regard. This phase is planned to be finalized by mid-2005, which
will see the establishment of 240 new smelter pots. The execution of Phase
3 is also under appropriate studies for reaching a final decision. |
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Pars Tire Co. |
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Managing Director: Mahmoud Ghaeli |
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Pars Tire Co. with 40,000 tons per
year production capacity is one of the greatest tire manufacturers in
Iran. "Pirouzi" brand tires produced in Pars Tire are being sold to both
local and international markets. Since the major part of the company’s
shares have been sold off to the private sector, the financial structures
have been streamlined which has in turn laid the groundwork for
development, transfer of technology and updating the quality and quantity
of the tires being produced. In regards to the above mentioned reforms,
some negotiations have been started with well-known foreign tire
producers.
Pars Tire Co. has exported its
products since 1997 and continuously increased the foreign sales amount
throughout the years. Now "Pirouzi" tires are being sold to Iraq, Syria,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Turkey, Yemen, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE,
Uganda, Kenya, Gabon, and Cameron.
Pars Tire Co. obtained the ISO 9002
and ISO 14000 certificate from DNV and has an application pending for ISO
TS. |
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Sarcheshmeh Copper
Investment Company (SCICO) |
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Managing Director: Ali Arjomandi |
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SCICO was established in 1988. It
has since pursued objectives such as creating sustainable employment and
assisting the privatization of governmental companies and organizations
and ultimately the production of industrial products with export
potential. These objectives have been pursued by establishing production,
industrial and service units.
The major ongoing activities can be
summarized as including the following two sections:
1. Industrial Sector
Offering industrial services in
general, which include:
Producing ferromolybdenum and
ferromolybdenum oxide, producing liquid sodium sulfur, producing mill
bullets, mine exploration activities, drillings, etc.
2. Service Sector
Providing road construction
services, construction and building operations, manufacturing and dealing
in construction machinery, conducting the set up operations for factories,
creating a green environment, offering agriculture services, foresting,
providing health and medical services to all of the personnel of the
Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex and the surrounding villages, providing
hardware and software services and supporting all systems used on office
machines as well as providing internet services and information
technology. |
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Mirzazadeh Trading |
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Managing Director: Ali Mirzazadeh |
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Mirzazadeh Trading, which is a
prominent and leading exporter of Iran’s hand-woven carpets, was
established in 1966. From the year 1970 onwards Mirzazadeh Trading has
been very active in the field of exporting handmade carpets worldwide.
During this period it has exported Iranian carpets to countries such as
Germany, Japan Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States,
and the United Arab Emirates.
The motto of Mirzazadeh Trading has
always been that "Iran is the birthplace of hand-woven carpets and others
have only learned this art by copying". Considering the fact that the
export of handmade carpets is the main focus of Mirzazadeh Trading, it has
played no small part in promoting Iranian carpets in the world market; as
the world knows carpets by Iran and Iran by its carpets.
Mirzazadeh Trading has established a
permanent carpet exhibition in Hamburg and in this exhibition it has put
on display for the public handmade carpets from Ilam, Tabriz, Isfahan,
Nayin and Kerman. |
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Ahjar Zagros
Manufacturing & Commercial Company |
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Managing Director: Mohammad Saberi |
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The company was established in early
1999 for optimal exploitation of Dehid and Abadeh marble quarries and
expanding the exportation of the said rough and processed materials. From
the very beginning the plan and purpose of the company was achieving
development to an extent that would facilitate presence in the global
market.
As more accurate marketing
techniques are adopted, and the companies products such as different kinds
of marble, travertine and onyx are given their due introduction, the
company has not only expanded its marble production but has also made
costumers more aware of the country’s other stones, which has generated
subsequent demand in the international market.
Participating in international stone
exhibitions in the last three years has also led the company to find new
markets in many countries such as China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore,
Italy, Germany, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Lebanon. |
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Iran Pharmaceutical
Industries Export Co. (Pharmieco) |
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Managing Director: Mostafa Etebari |
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Pharmieco has been established in
1989 by 17 of the largest pharmaceutical manufactures together with NIIO
(an organization of more than 400 affiliated manufacturers in that time).
During the past 14 years, Pharmieco has made its most efforts to make good
markets for the products of Iranian pharmaceutical manufacturers in 20
countries in the world. Pharmieco has also prepared suitable bases for the
establishment of pharmaceutical bases in Aremnia and Afghanistan. The
scientific department of the company has skillful pharmacists and regular
contacts with world scientific centers.
Pharmieco is proud to provide and
support 98% of medicaments required by the domestic market of Iran’s
almost 70 million for the last 20 years. The Managing Director of
Pharmieco has degree in computer system engineering and commerce from
England. In the seven years that he has led Pharmieco he has increased its
exports by 10 times. |
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Bahman Gasht Tour &
Travel Agency |
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Managing
Director: Shokrollah Salehi |
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Focusing its activities on ticketing
and interstate tourism, Bahman Gasht Tour & Travel Agency was established
in 1996. Concurrent to its membership in the Association of Air Transport
and Tourist Agencies of Iran (AATTAI), the company doubled its efforts to
achieve the membership of the International Association of Travel Agencies
(IATA). As an IATA member and in spite of its new foundation, it could
take wonderful steps in the tour operation industry.
In a short time the scope of its
activities became so widespread that even after the September 11 disaster
and its consequent crisis the number of tourists still continued to
increase rapidly. Bahman Gasht mainly aims for the markets of European and
Scandinavian countries and it mostly operates archaeological, trekking,
skiing, sports, and entertainment tours. Applying for Iranian visa for
their clients, as well as organizing domestic and pilgrimage tours are
considered as other aspects of their activities. |
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