IRAN: Iran to Form Carpet Export Consortium

Iran's Commerce Minister Masoud Mirkazemi has called for the formation of a national consortium for the export of hand-woven carpets. “Forming a national consortium would help the government secure the market for Persian carpets,” said Mirkazemi at a Tehran seminar on Persian carpets.

“In this way, the government can also financially support the participation of Iranian producers at carpet exhibitions in foreign countries,” he added. Genuine Persian carpets have recently come under fierce competition from other countries that either produce fakes of the original Iranian designs or poor quality, cheaper substitutes.

Mirkazemi said Iran's carpet exports have increased by 7 percent since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 2008), however, he stressed that there must be a unified effort to increase Iran's share in the world carpet trade.

The commerce minister also urged the private sector to increase its investment in the Iranian carpet industry. There is an estimated population of 1.2 million weavers in Iran producing carpets for domestic markets and international export.

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