Azernews.Az

Iran exported handmade carpets worth $86 million in the first five months of the current calendar year (which started on March 21), Director of Iran's National Carpet Center Mohammad Baqer Aqa-Alijani said .

"The amount shows a 40-percent decrease compared to the same period of time the previous year," the Fars News Agency quoted Aqa-Alijani as saying.

He went on to say that the 22th edition of Iran Handmade Carper Exhibition will kick off in Tehran on September 23.

"Some 110 foreign guests from Japan, China, Lebanon, Germany, Switzerland, England, Denmark, Brazil, Tajikistan, Turkey, France, New Zealand, Uruguay, Austria, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Romania, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Indonesia will take part in the event," he said.

Deputy Director of Iran's National Carpet Center Mojtaba Feizollahi said earlier this month that Russia, Malaysia, South Africa, and China now buy Iranian carpets.

He also said that the center is planning to export carpets to other countries, including Qatar and the UAE.

Iran exports carpets to at least 70 world countries.

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

The value of exported handmade carpets across the world reached $1.35 billion last year, out of which the value of Iranian carpets amounted to $427 million.