TEHRAN, Jan. 29 (MNA) – Head of the Iranian National Carpet Center has announced the resumption of Iran’s hand-woven carpet export to the US in the current year.

Hamid Kargar has deemed 2016 as the year for resumption of Iranian carpet exports to the US expressing hope that the currently low exports rate will be compensated for in the coming months; “the high interest of American businessmen to buy Iran’s hand-woven carpets indicates that the exports to America will start again soon.”

“Positive signals in this regard were received from the DOMOTEX exhibition, recently held in Germany’s Hannover, where American traders discussed, ordered and bought Iranian hand-woven products,” noted the official adding “the exposition coincided with the implementation of JCPOA leading to great enthusiasm.”

“Sanction relief is new hope for Iranian carpet activists to revive lost markets, although optimism should be avoided, and we should act based on prepared plan. With absence of Iranian carpet, the other competitors such as India, Pakistan are replaced and gained good share of market,” he said.

“Statistics show that India has proved the most successful in American market in last 5 years and now it is the first carpet exporter to the US; Moreover the consumers’ taste has naturally changed over the past years.”

He underlined “it is therefore necessary to monitor young generations’ taste and competitors’ activities and to advertise wisely to have a long term market.”

“National Carpet Center of Iran has conducted several talks with Persian Carpet activists in the US market with various options one the table including the visit of American traders to Iran as well as deploying Iranian businessmen to the US to attend exhibitions,” stressed the official.

He further emphasized that before the imposition of international sanctions against Iranian carpets in 2010, the US remained as the top importer of Persian Carpet with a share of more than 16.5 per cent worth 82 million dollars.

By Mehr News Agency