ULAN BATOR, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has officially put into operation its first-ever metal powder plant here, the country's Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry said on Monday.
The country's first export-oriented metallurgical plant called "Steppe Metal Powder" has an annual capacity of producing at least 3,000 tons of powders of copper, brass, bronze, tin and other metals, the ministry said in a statement.
"The commissioning of the innovation-based plant lays the foundation for raising the level of Mongolia's domestic metal processing and creating a value-added production network that can compete in the world market. We believe that the plant will contribute to the country's economic growth through the development of import substitution and export-oriented products," Gelen Yondon, minister of mining and heavy industry, said at the commissioning ceremony of the plant.
The powder metallurgy plant is expected to export its products to countries and regions in high demand for metal powders, such as China, South Korea, Japan, India and the European Union, according to the ministry. ■