Iran exported some 9.158 million tons of petrochemicals worth around $4.9 billion in the first ten months of the current calendar year (started March 20, 2009).
The country''s petrochemical exports stood at 10.993 million tons in the preceding year, the Mehr News Agency reported.
The values of exported petrochemicals in the past three years were some $3 billion, $5.5 billion, and $7.2 billion respectively.
Iran plans to start the construction of 46 new petrochemical complexes in next calendar year (to begin March 21) to boost its production capacity by 50 million tons.
The plan would cost up to $25 billion.
"The 20-Year Outlook Plan envisions the petrochemical output to reach 100 million tons by 2015 which is the end of the fifth five-year development plan," the managing director of National Petrochemical Company, Abdolhossein Bayat told SHANA news agency earlier this month.
Currently, 29 projects at the cost of $18 billion are underway which would add 22.5 million tons to the current production capacity.
National Petrochemical Company eyes reaching production volume of 38.9 million tons by the end of the current year.
