Iran exports handmade carpets to 80 countries

TEHRAN,April 28(MNA) - Iran exported over $560 million worth of handmade carpets to 80 countries in the past calendar year, which ended on March 19. According to the Customs Administration data, the carpet exports rose by 0.8 percent in value, but decreased by 15.4 percent in weight, compared to the year before. Germany, the UAE, and Italy were the main destinations for the Iranian carpets, accounting for $107.9 million, $102 million, and $29.9 million of the imports. Pakistan, Japan, Britain, Brazil, Denmark, Sweden, Qatar, Canada, Lebanon, China, South Africa, Austria, Australia, Spain, Afghanistan, Turkey, Singapore, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman, France and Malaysia also imported Iranian handmade carpets last year. Iran has developed plans to export as much as $1 billion worth of carpets in the current calendar year, said the head of the National Carpet Center. “Carpet is of great importance in non-oil exports of the Islamic Republic,” Baqer Aqa-Alikhani said, adding that boosting carpet exports to UAE and China has been highlighted, the Mehr News Agency reported.