Iran opens international carpet fair

Iran’s 19th international hand-woven carpet fair has opened with the aim of introducing the Persian carpet and expanding its export market.

The seven-day international fair was opened with the presence of Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi on Thursday.

More than 400 Iranian carpet producers and exporters have gathered in the Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds to display carpets from different parts of the country.

Iran’s carpet exports increased by nearly 50 percent to hit $204 million in the first five months of the current Iranian year — which began on March 21.

Rahimi predicted that the country’s carpet exports will pass $500 million by the end of the year.

Iran exports hand-woven carpets — its main non-oil export — to more than 100 countries.

The country produces about five million square meters of carpets annually — 80 percent of which are sold in international markets.

There is an estimated population of 1.2 million weavers in Iran producing carpets for domestic and international markets.