Iran’s Persian rug exports moved up 7.3% y/y across the first four months of the Persian calendar year (started March 21), the Islamic Republic News Agency reported on August 16.
Though not connected with any government agency and usually set in villages around the country, Persian rug production was directly targeted by US sanctions during 2011-15, with many Iranians lamenting the inclusion of the industry in such politics.
According to the latest figures released by the National Carpet Center of Iran, the Islamic Republic exported $89mn worth of Persian rugs in the first third of the Iranian year.
Prior to the introduction of the nuclear sanctions, the US was a major export destination for the handmade rugs, accounting for 16.5% of the export market. Since rugs were removed from the US sanctions list in February last year, much headway has been made in rebuilding that particular export market.
The main export destinations also include European Union member states, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Australia and Japan.
Each year, Iran produces around an estimated 3mn square metres of handmade Persian rugs. A substantial amount of that total is produced in central Iranian regions.
Related Articles
Iran's Tehran Friday prayer leader urges halt to bank overdrafts from Central Bank
Tehran's Friday prayer leader has called for an immediate end to commercial banks drawing unauthorised overdrafts from the Central Bank and demanded reforms to the country's banking system, IRNA ... more
Iran joins CFT amid hopes for banking relief and security concerns
Iran's Expediency Council approved the country's conditional accession to the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), raising hopes for economic opening, Hamshahri Online ... more
Iran's central bank authorised to settle IRR762 trillion IMF debt
Iran's Central Bank has been authorised to settle IRR762.305 trillion ($708mn) in debt arising from the Islamic Republic's commitments to the International Monetary Fund, First Vice President ... more