Turkish Konya Cimento exports 90,000t cement to Iraq

Turkish building materials producer Konya Cimento has exported about 90,000t of cement to Iraq since March 2004.

Iraq is a new market for Konya Cimento since the company has not exported to Iraq for 22 years, according to the director general Davut Ulus.

Konya Cimento plans to export 120,000t of cement to Iraq by the end of 2004 and over 250,000t in 2005. The company can trade only with neighbouring countries because of its high production costs, Ulus said, adding that Konya Cimento wants to play an active role in the reconstruction of Iraq.

Konya Cimento has an annual capacity of two million tonnes of cement but produces only some 1.05Mta.