About tire production in Iran

As Mohammadreza Taghi Ghanji, the chairman of the board of the Iranian Tire and Rubber Industry Association, explained, around 80% of the country's tire needs are met by local companies. According to him, there are 12 tire factories operating in Iran, and the market volume for all types of tires is around 30 million units per year.

Mohammadreza Taghi Ghanji also stated that over the past three years, Iranian tire manufacturers have increased their annual production capacity by 5% and "a balance between supply and demand has been achieved". The main imported goods in this sector are tires for agricultural and mining equipment, which account for 20% of domestic demand.

"25% of the raw materials for the tire industry are imported, and there are problems with payment in currency," noted the representative of the industry association, adding that in the first two months of the Iranian year (from March to May 2024), the country imported car tires worth $92 million, with a growth of 76%.

The history of the Iranian tire industry began about 60 years ago, and currently, there are 11 companies (Barez Industrial Group, Yazd Rubber Industries Complex (YRIC), Artawheel Tire Co., etc.) in the country that produce tires for passenger and commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, construction and agricultural equipment, as well as for bicycles and motorcycles.

The industry directly employs 15,000 people, and more than 250,000 people are indirectly involved in the production and sales chain. In recent years, despite international sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic, Iranian companies have continued to develop new areas and, in particular, have started producing tires for off-road vehicles and wide-base tires for heavy-duty trucks, Taghi Ghanji explained, adding that in the latter case, tires of this type were launched for the first time in production in Western Asia.