Iran Parliament Vows Strong Support for Handwoven Carpet Industry

The first vice-speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Massoud Pezeshkian, has stressed that the Parliament intends to make considerable effort to shore up those involved in domestic handwoven carpet industry.

According to a Farsi report by ICANA, he further called for the identification of new export markets to increase overseas sales of Iranian handwoven carpets.

Pezeshkian made the remarks in a meeting with the head of Iran National Carpet Centre (INCC), Hamid Kargar, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 26th Iran Handmade Carpet Exhibition – the biggest of its kind worldwide – in Tehran on August 23.

Given that the demand for handwoven carpets in global markets is limited, efforts are required to create or identify new markets to boost exports of Iranian carpets, he added.

Pezeshkian put the current total global demand for handwoven carpets at $1.3 billion, expressing satisfaction with the fact that Iran has always been the world’s top producer of handmade carpets, followed by India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Nepal, and China.

“In the first decade of the 21st century, Iran’s annual handwoven carpet exports stood at $500m. Unfortunately, following the intensification of the sanctions by the US, the figure decreased to $300 million due to fluctuations in domestic forex market, increased price of raw materials, internal problems of a number of Arab states and the European countries’ economic recession.”

The MP said however, Iran’s handmade carpet exports have witnessed growth again after the going into effect of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – signed between Iran and the P5+1, and the removal of the western sanctions targeting the country’s carpet industry.

He put Iran’s handwoven carpet exports at $350 million in the 12-month period ending March 2017.

The 26th Iran Handmade Carpet Exhibition will be open to visitors until August 29.