Tehran, Iran, Nov.26
Trend:
Considering the devaluation of Iran's national currency (rial) against other foreign currencies, the price of Iranian carpets for foreign and domestic customers is optimal and the volume of purchases has increased, the managing director of Iran Carpet Co. Mohammad Reza Abedi told Trend.
"The situation with domestic and foreign carpet sales is good, although the US sanctions have affected our hand-woven Persian carpet exports, but due to drop of rial, Iran's carpet price is very competitive and profitable for other countries," he said.
Abedi went on to add that domestic and foreign interest in Persian carpets has increased, and this in turn improved Iran's carpet market overall.
"In general, rise of carpet prices is caused by high demands and rise of raw material prices. The raw material would effect the total carpet prices from 20-30 percent," he said.
"The inflation rate and salaries of carpet weavers are affecting the prices as well. However the increase of carpet prices is not comparable to the rise of commodity prices in Iran. Currently the carpets from last year's production, are being sold and the new carpets woven after the raise of salaries, have not hit the market yet, it is predicted that by the end of the year we would witness a 50-60 percent rise of carpet prices", he said.
"During the last year we have exported carpets worth $420 million, $100 million worth of them were exported to the US, other destinations include Germany, UAE, Italy and Latin America. In the first five months of the year Iran carpet export was $120 million," he noted.
"Currently Iran's competitors in the carpet market are India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. They have all increased their activities. On the other hand, China has dropped its hand woven carpet direction and moved towards the machine-woven carpets."