Iran exported over $390 million worth of hand-woven carpets in the first ten months of the current calendar year (started March 20, 2009), Iran National Carpet Center (INCC) director said here on Sunday.
ISNA News Agency quoted Feysal Mardasi as saying that the amount showed a ten percent increase in comparison to the previous year's figure.
In the first nine months of the year, the exports value of hand-woven Persian carpets had increased nine percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
During the period $340 million worth of carpets weighing 5,500 tons had been exported.
The National Iranian Carpet Center has devised plans to increase the amount of exports of carpets.
Mardasi expressed hope that the nation's hand-woven carpet exports would raise up to $600 million in terms of value and 10,000 tons in terms of volume in 4 years.
In 2008, Iran's export of hand-woven carpets stood at $420 million.
The Persian carpet is described as an important part of Persian art and culture.
Carpet-weaving is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished manifestations of Persian culture and art, and dates back to ancient Persia.
There is an estimated population of 1.2 million weavers in Iran producing carpets for domestic markets and international 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.