MNA �Head of Iran National Carpet Center (INCC) Fereshteh Dastpak said Mon. that $ 100 million worth of handmade carpets has been exported during the first four months of the Iranian year (beginning on March 21).







Speaking to reporters few days before 27th National Hand-Woven Carpets exhibition kicks off in Tehran, Fereshteh Dastpak said �during this period (first four months of Iranian year), a total of 1,983 tons of handmade carpets have been exported to foreign markets.�

She said that last year, 5,400 tons of carpets worth $ 425 million were exported, indicating 17.9% increase compared to the year before, during which 5.741 tons valued at $ 359 million had been exported.

The INCC chairwoman also said that the exports of handmade carpets to the United States had�doubled and added "during the first four months last year, $ 21 million worth of handmade carpets was exported to United States, while this amount reached $ 38 million during the same period this year."

Last year, $ 126 million worth of carpets was exported to the United States, and its share of the total�Iranian carpet�exports was 29.7%.

She said that Germany, Lebanon, Britain and Japan - after the United States � imported the largest portions of Iranian handmade carpets and added that Germany imported $ 57.5 million of Iranian carpet last year, indicating�13.6% of the carpet�exports�.

According to her, last year, Lebanon imported $ 30 million, Britain $ 23.4 million, and Japan imported $ 23.1 million handmade carpets from Iran, accounting for 7.1 percent, 5.5 percent and 5.5 percent of Iran's�carpets exports, respectively.

The 27th National Hand-woven Carpets Exhibition will kick off on August 25 and will run until August 31 at Tehran International Permanent Fairground located in the north of the capital.