There are eight pen manufacturers in the country with a total nominal production capacity of 656 million pens a year while domestic demand stands at 300-350 million per year. These firms have generated close to 1,000 jobs across the country, based on a recent report released by the Industries Ministry, IRNA reported.
A total of 57 million pens were imported into the country during the last Iranian year (March 2019-20) to register a 30.48% decline compared with the year before.
There are also four felt-tip pen production units active in the country with a total nominal production capacity of 248.5 million marker pens per year. Domestic demand for felt-tip pens currently stands at between 145 million and 150 million per annum. These factories have provided employment for 890 people, the report reads.
A total of 80 million felt-tip pens were imported into Iran last year, indicating a 45.45% year-on-year rise.
Pencil production is currently underway in five factories with a total nominal production capacity of more than 4.32 million kinds of different pencils per year. Domestic demand for pencils stands at 2.5 million annually.
Iran’s pencil production units have generated around 2,200 jobs.
In the fiscal 2019-20, more than 37,000 pencils were imported, which shows a 94.47% YOY drop.
Notebooks are produced in five production units with a total nominal production capacity of 2,546 tons (100 million notebooks). Annual domestic demand stands at between 150 million to 160 million notebooks.
Notebook imports experienced a 97.91% nosedive last year to reach 2 tons only.
Iran's total nominal eraser production capacity is at 2,218 tons in four factories, which have created a total of 615 jobs. Domestic demand stands at 2,300 erasers per year.
Some 350 tons of erasers were imported into the country over the last Iranian year.
There are eight producers of measurement stationery in Iran with a total nominal production capacity of 4,339 tons per year. These firms have provided jobs for 450 people.
Annual domestic demand for different kinds of measurement stationery stands at 1,500 tons.
The IRNA report did not provide figures on measuring instrument imports.
Latest available data show Iran exported about 3,300 tons of stationery worth $5.87 million in the fiscal 2018-19 to register an increase of 41% and 65% in tonnage and value respectively compared to the year before, according to Mohsen Safdari, an official with the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade.
About 1,600 tons of stationery worth $7.58 million were imported into Iran that year, indicating a 65% and 62% decline in tonnage and value respectively year-on-year.
According to Secretary-General of Students’ Islamic Unions Hamed Alamuti, Iran’s stationery market is worth 40 trillion rials ($180 million) per year.
Chinese stationery products have a major share of Iran's stationary market, as the variety and low price of Chinese stationary have made them popular among both importers and students in Iran.
The remainder of the imports are made from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as some European countries.
This is while domestic producers claim that the quality of Iranian stationery is on par with international standards and can easily compete with foreign brands.
Iranian stationery manufacturers have the capacity to meet 80-85% of domestic demand and are working below capacity.