Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb.10/ Trend F.Milad
The third hand-made carpet fair in Iran has kicked off in 32 provinces, the IRNA News Agency reported..
1,100 stores will offer hand-made carpets with 5 per cent discount at the fair.
Iran exported over $361 million worth of hand-made carpet during the first 10 months of the current Iranian calendar year.
The amount shows 17.75 per cent decrease compared to the same period of the previous year.
China, South Africa, Russia, and Indonesia were the main destination markets.
Deputy Head of the National Carpet Center Mohammad-Ali Zarineh said last month that Iran plans to export $1billion worth of handmade carpets by the end of current Iranian calendar year (March 19), showing 100 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Iran exported $500 million worth of handmade carpets last year.
According to the Customs Administration data, carpet exports last year rose by 0.8 percent in value, but decreased by 15.4 percent in weight, compared to its preceding year.
The Iranian industry, Mine, and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari announced in September 2012 that Iran is currently exporting carpets to 80 countries of the world despite all the sanctions targeting Iran's economic sector.
Ghazanfari added that the USA, Germany, Italy, has kicked off in 32 provinces, Japan and Switzerland are the main targets for Iranian carpets.
According to the officials, Iran's carpet export falls in the first half of each year, but grows in the second half.
Iran's carpet exports accounted for some 24 percent of the world's total carpet trade in the previous Iranian calendar year, which ended March 19, 2012.