11 October 2010
Head of Iran's National Carpet Center Feysal Mardasi said that US sanctions on Iran's hand-woven carpets have proved ineffective as the international market demand for carpets, rugs, kilims and Persian handicrafts are ever more increasing, IRNA reported on Saturday.
On the sidelines of a hand-woven carpet workshop in North Khorasan province, Mardasi reiterated that "Such US-engineered unilateral sanctions are nothing new and the Islamic republic has experienced a trend of different sanctions since its establishment."
Under the pressure of the US, the UN Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran's financial and military sectors. Following that, the US and its allies imposed their own unilateral measures based on allegations that Tehran is following a covert military program.
Mardasi maintained that in the first half of the current Iranian year (started March 21) the value of exported hand-woven carpets hiked to $500 million, which has increased 49 percent compared with corresponding figures in the same period of the previous year.
He went on to say that in the first six months of the current Iranian year, the world's total value of exported carpets topped $1.3 billion and Iran's share included more than one third, which is a significantly large figure.
"Unilateral measures, particularly in the field of Persian hand-woven export, have had no effect since foreign traders favor Iranian carpets," he noted.
Iran exports carpets to more than 100 countries in the world.
The US, Germany, UAE, Japan, and Qatar import the highest number of carpets from Iran.
The country produces about five million square meters of carpets annually, of which 80 percent are sold in international markets.
Carpet weaving is an ancient tradition in Iran. The Persian carpet with its fast colors, fine designs and unique texture has always been the most tangible manifestation of Persian art for other nations.
Although carpet production is now mostly mechanized, traditional hand-woven carpets are still widely found all around the country, and usually have higher prices than their machine-woven counterparts due to their exquisite quality.
There is an estimated population of 1.2 million weavers in Iran producing carpets for local markets as well as export. In recent times Iranian carpets have come under fierce competition from other countries producing fakes of the original Iranian designs as well as genuine cheaper substitutes.
Most of the problems facing this traditional art are due to absence of patenting and branding the products as well as reduced quality of raw materials in the local market and the consistent loss of original design patterns. The absence of modern research and development is causing rapid decline in the size as well as market value of this art.
Head of Iran's National Carpet Center Feysal Mardasi said that US sanctions on Iran's hand-woven carpets have proved ineffective as the international market demand for carpets, rugs, kilims and Persian handicrafts are ever more increasing, IRNA reported on Saturday.
On the sidelines of a hand-woven carpet workshop in North Khorasan province, Mardasi reiterated that "Such US-engineered unilateral sanctions are nothing new and the Islamic republic has experienced a trend of different sanctions since its establishment."
Under the pressure of the US, the UN Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran's financial and military sectors. Following that, the US and its allies imposed their own unilateral measures based on allegations that Tehran is following a covert military program.
Mardasi maintained that in the first half of the current Iranian year (started March 21) the value of exported hand-woven carpets hiked to $500 million, which has increased 49 percent compared with corresponding figures in the same period of the previous year.
He went on to say that in the first six months of the current Iranian year, the world's total value of exported carpets topped $1.3 billion and Iran's share included more than one third, which is a significantly large figure.
"Unilateral measures, particularly in the field of Persian hand-woven export, have had no effect since foreign traders favor Iranian carpets," he noted.
Iran exports carpets to more than 100 countries in the world.
The US, Germany, UAE, Japan, and Qatar import the highest number of carpets from Iran.
The country produces about five million square meters of carpets annually, of which 80 percent are sold in international markets.
Carpet weaving is an ancient tradition in Iran. The Persian carpet with its fast colors, fine designs and unique texture has always been the most tangible manifestation of Persian art for other nations.
Although carpet production is now mostly mechanized, traditional hand-woven carpets are still widely found all around the country, and usually have higher prices than their machine-woven counterparts due to their exquisite quality.
There is an estimated population of 1.2 million weavers in Iran producing carpets for local markets as well as export. In recent times Iranian carpets have come under fierce competition from other countries producing fakes of the original Iranian designs as well as genuine cheaper substitutes.
Most of the problems facing this traditional art are due to absence of patenting and branding the products as well as reduced quality of raw materials in the local market and the consistent loss of original design patterns. The absence of modern research and development is causing rapid decline in the size as well as market value of this art.
© Iran Daily 2010
