Iran says Australia has joined the list of the clients of its hexamine – a fresh sign showing that petrochemical products are already receiving a central role in the country’s non-oil exports. 

Hamed Vahedi, a member of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, was quoted by the domestic media that talks with Australia over exports of hexamine have been finalized.

Vahedi added that is taking the required measures to send a cargo of the petrochemical product – which is used in plastics industry as well as in production of explosives, rubber, and medicine – in the near future.

The official also said that similar talks for exports of hexamine to Brazil have been finalized, but did not indicate when the first consignment would be ready for shipment.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Vahedi emphasized that Iran’s exports of petrochemicals had seen a dramatic rise after the removal of sanctions against the country in January.

Earlier, official figures showed that Iran had exported above 10 million tons of petrochemical products with a collective value of $4.3 billion – mostly to Asia – over a period of six months starting 21 March 2016.

Iran’s petrochemical exports were banned under a US-led regime of sanctions that had been imposed on the country from 2011 until 2016.

The sanctions were lifted in January after a nuclear deal that Iran had sealed with the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany – the so-called P5+1 group of countries – came into effect.

The deal allowed the removal of certain anti-Iran economic sanctions – including those that banned exports of petrochemicals – in return for measures by the country to restrict certain aspects of its nuclear energy activities.