Iranian Hand-Woven Carpet Exports Rise

Tehran, Iran, Aug. 5, 2010--Iran has exported close to $104 million worth of hand-woven carpets in the first four months of the current Iranian year that began on March 21.

"Iran's carpet exports increased by 37% in the first four months of the year," Feysal Mardasi, the head of Iran's National Carpet Center, told the Fars news agency.

Mardasi also predicted that the country's carpet exports will reach $500 million by the end of the year.

The U.S. is the largest single customer of Iranian hand-woven carpets by importing $17 million worth of carpets annually from Iran, the official said.

Iran exports carpets to more than 100 countries in the world. The country produces about 5 million square meters of carpets annually.