Iran exported $312 million worth of hand-woven carpets during the nine months to Dec. 21, registering a 26% increase compared with last year's corresponding period, Trade Promotion Organization's statistics showed.
The report also indicates that $243 million worth of machine-made carpets were exported from the country during the same period, registering a rise of 10% year-on-year, IRNA reported.
According to TPO, $306,000 worth of carpets have been imported for repair and cleaning purposes so far in the current Iranian year (ending March 20, 2018).
Persian hand-woven carpets are exported to 80 countries.
Chairman of Iran National Carpet Center Hamid Kargar said Iran's carpet exports stood at $359 million last year.
With about $90 million worth of purchases, the US was last year’s top importer of Persian carpets.
Exports to the US have gained momentum after five to six years of “zero” exports to the country, due to the ban imposed on the import of Iranian carpets in September 2010.
Trade resumed after international nuclear-related sanctions against Iran were lifted in January 2016.
“We are looking to add new markets, including China, South Africa as well as Chile and Brazil in South America, to the existing ones. The Chinese market is very significant for us, as the country was one of our biggest rivals and now is among our top 20 customers of the product,” Kargar was quoted as saying earlier this month.
“Iran is the biggest exporter of hand-woven carpets with a 30% share in global markets,” he told Financial Tribune at the 26th Iran Handmade Carpet Exhibition held in Tehran’s International Fairground in August.
According to Kargar, more than 3 million square meters of handmade carpets are annually woven in Iran, two-thirds of which are exported and the rest meets domestic demand.
