"Domestic share was 20% eight years ago. Since then Iranian producers increasingly made forays into the market to produce varieties of stationery to suit the home market. In terms of quality, our stationery can compete with foreign products,” Mohammad Yaqini was quoted as saying by the Persian-language economic newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad.
Iran’s stationery market’s annual turnover now is about 60 trillion rials ( $257 million).
The official noted that the coronavirus pandemic has reduced Iran’s stationery market to a third and it is not clear whether it would bounce back if and when schools reopen.
Iran’s 34 stationery producers have created 5,000 jobs, according to figures released by the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade.
There are eight pen manufacturers with total nominal capacity to produce 656 million pens a year while domestic demand is 300 million to 350 million. These companies so far have created 1,000 jobs, IRNA reported.
Almost 57 million pens were imported into the country during the last Iranian year (March 2019-20) down 30.48% compared to the year before.
There are also four felt-tip pen production factories in the country with total nominal capacity of 248.5 million pens per year. Domestic demand for felt-tip pens currently is between 145 million and 150 million per annum and these factories have provided employment for 890 people.
A total of 80 million felt-tip pens were imported last year, indicating a 45.45% year-on-year rise.
Pencils are produced in five factories with total nominal capacity of 4.32 million per year. Annual domestic demand for pencils is 2.5 million.
Iran’s pencil production factories have 2,200 people on their payrolls.
In fiscal 2019-20, more than 37,000 pencils were imported, which shows a 94.47% YOY drop.
Notebooks are produced by five factories with nominal capacity of 2,546 tons (100 million notebooks). Annual domestic demand is between close to 160 million notebooks.
Notebook imports plunged 97% last year to reach two tons.
Iran's production of erasers is 2,218 tons in four factories, which have created 615 jobs. Domestic demand is 2,300 erasers per year.
Some 350 tons of erasers were imported in the last fiscal year.
There are eight producers of measurement stationery with total production capacity of 4,339 tons a year. These companies have 450 workers.
Annual domestic demand for different kinds of measurement stationery is 1,500 tons. IRNA did not provide figures on imported measuring instruments.