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.
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