by Andrea Serri27   Novembre   2013

"We need logistic hubs to raise our level of exports"

Benefiting from a long ceramic tradition, excellent production costs, a strategic location within the Middle East and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, Iran has now become one of the world’s leading ceramic tile producers. While expanding its domestic market, the country is also focusing on geographically distant export markets. We discussed the industry’s prospects, risks and opportunities for the coming year with Mohammad Roshanfekr, president of Iran’s Ceramic Producers Syndicate.
 

Mr Roshanfekr, what is the Iranian ceramic industry’s potential?
The economic, cultural and religious development of Iranian society together with large-scale investments in housing are fuelling rapid growth in domestic tile consumption. Iran’s strategic location within a region that includes some of the world’s biggest importers such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Iraq and its proximity to other potentially big users such as India offers a rare opportunity for Iranian tile and ceramic producers. The high national per capita income of Qatar, the astonishing economic growth of India and Central Asian countries and changes in population, lifestyle and consumption patterns are all factors that have contributed to an increase in the volume of use of tiles and ceramics in the countries in the region.
 

What are your country’s main requests from international organisations?
The Iranian Ceramic Producers Syndicate has a wide range of tasks. These include domestic market policymaking, export policymaking and resolution of customs issues, and manufacturing industry policymaking. It also organises participation in ceramic exhibitions to present the industry’s latest achievements and conducts constant information activities for its members.
 

What are your demands from the Iranian government?
To develop export markets, our Association is asking for measures to support Iranian ceramic exports, to boost export infrastructures and means of transportation, and to improve the quality of customs administrations. For the domestic market, we are calling on the government to promote the growth of the construction industry throughout the country by setting up large construction firms and securing the support of the banking system.

What are the goals and prospects for 2014?
One of our key goals is to increase Iranian ceramic exports worldwide, largely by opening up new export markets. To do this it is important to improve the levels of design and quality of our products in conformity with international standards so as to establish an effective presence in new markets in the European and American continents while maintaining and developing our existing regional markets.
 

What are the main challenges for the future?
The main challenges facing the industry in the future concern energy, in terms of both access and price, and environmental regulations. Another crucial issue is that of the political changes and developments under way in a number of countries in the Middle East, which risks destabilising our exports. For this purpose we need to adopt effective measures.

To view the entire Iran Country Report, download the magazine issue on the free ' Ceramica ' App from iTunes.
You can also view and download Country Reports for the

- United States (Cer n.331)
- Germany (Cer n.332)
- Ukraine (Cer n.333)
- Turkey (Cer n.334)
- Brazil (Cer n.337
- Mexico (Cer n.338)
- Indonesia (Cer n.340)

published in various issues of CER il Giornale della ceramica.