Handicrafts Potentials High for Generating Employment

Iran aims to raise its handicrafts exports to $2 billion by the end of the incumbent administration in 2021, the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said on Saturday.

Speaking at a ceremony on the occasion of the National Day of Export (Oct. 21), Ali Asghar Mounesan added that in the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2017), Iran’s handmade exports earned $240 million, IRNA reported.

“Despite having good potentials in the handicrafts industry, Iran ranks 31st in terms of exports in the sector,” he said.

Some 370 fields have been registered in Iran’s handicrafts industry, in which 400,000 people are currently working.

Mounesan added that the industry has the potential to employ twice the current number.

“Taking family members into account, the sector can cover up to 4 million people,” he said.

He said high final production cost, lack of export incentives, poor advertising and marketing, and lack of brand strategy are among the main challenges facing Iran’s handicrafts exports.  

Referring to China’s success in handicrafts industry, the third largest country in terms of handicrafts export, Mounesan said China owes its success to mass production, use of young workforce, products tailored to customers’ taste and practicality of Chinese products, “while we don’t care much about our customers’ preference”.

Since his appointment as ICHHTO chief, Mounesan has frequently highlighted the potentials of the handicrafts sector in creating jobs.

“To set up a low investment business in handicrafts sector in Iran, one requires 200 to 300 million rials ($5,000 to $7,500), whereas the amount reaches 5 billion rials ($125,000) in other economic sectors,” he said.