The nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers—the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany—will help revive the traditional market of carpet and turn around its exports, says the chairman of board of directors at Iran Carpet Scientific Association.
Amirhossein Chitsaziyan thanked Iran’s negotiating team for including a clause in the text of the agreement on lifting the ban on the export of Iranian carpet as well as foodstuffs (caviar and pistachio nuts in particular), IRNA reported.
Exports of Persian carpet faced challenges after the so-called Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act took effect on September 29, 2010, he said.
Before that, the US was the primary destination for Iranian exports with more than $82 million worth of imports every year accounting for 16.5% of Iran’s total annual carpet exports.
“To rev up exports to the US, first we need to weigh the current state of the country’s carpet market from consumer preferences to changes in rules and regulations to commercial exporting process. Then, a strategy needs to be devised to clear legal and illegal hurdles in the way of exports to the US such as insurance, tax, import tariffs and transport,” Chitsaziyan added.
Persian carpets worth $330 million headed to 80 countries over the past Iranian year (ended March 20, 2015) in the face of all Iran sanctions, said the head of Iran National Carpet Center.
“Hopefully the exports will take a quantum leap after sanctions are lifted,” IRNA quoted Hamid Kargar as saying.
“Our country accounts for 30% of the global trade of carpets and it still reigns supreme in the global markets despite the muscle-flexing of powerful rivals such as India,” he added.
Iran is home to one million carpet weavers, 700,000 of whom are career weavers.
