Rugmark Grows with Certified Child-Labor Free Rugs

Washington, DC, September 25, 2007-- A growing number of U.S. rug consumers are factoring social responsibility into their rug purchasing decisions by selecting rugs with the RugMark certification label.

In the wake of Metro Rug Alliance Market Week in New York – one of the rug industry’s most important events – RugMark said that certified rug imports to the U.S. have grown from $0 in 1996 to $8.9 million in 2006. Sales of child-labor-free rugs have increased by nearly 30% per year since 2004. 

RugMark’s strong results are consistent with the expansion of the socially responsible marketplace in general – a U.S. consumer sector that comprises more than 68 million people.  In contrast, overall U.S. rug industry sales for 2005 and 2006 were flat and during the first half of 2007 have been at one of their softest levels in years, with experts pointing to higher gas prices and escalating home mortgages as the culprits.

“RugMark’s expanding footprint on the U.S. rug market highlights the successes of The Most Beautiful Rug: RugMark’s Campaign to End Child Labor,” said Nina Smith, executive director of RugMark USA.  Launched in 2006, the goal of The Most Beautiful Rug is to raise consumer and industry awareness about the child labor problem in the rug industry, which currently exploits nearly 300,000 children.

“The growth that we have experienced indicates that more consumers and industry professionals are hearing our message and making the humanitarian choice by demanding child-labor-free rugs,” Smith said.