TEHRAN – Iran’s northern Golestan province earned some $308,000 from exporting handicrafts via suitcase trade (allowed for customs-free and tax-free transfer) mostly to the U.S. and Europe during the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 19).

Hand-woven kilim carpets, Turkmen handicrafts, wicker works, handmade felt products mosaic and precious and semiprecious stones constituted the majority of the province’s exports of handicrafts, provincial tourism chief Maryam Hajiebrahimi said, CHTN reported on Saturday. 

Germany, Sweden, Canada, Iraq, China, Japan, Turkmenistan, Qatar, Afghanistan, Australia, France, the UK and the U.S. were the main importers during the period, she added. 

She also noted that due to the existence of different ethnicities in the province, the fields and products of handicrafts in this province have a high diversity, which helps the crafters to reach global markets.

Establishment of an export institute as well as a specialized export terminal for handicrafts, identifying targeted markets, upgrading products packaging and helping craftspeople to take part in international and national exhibitions, are among the programs of the province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department in the current Iranian calendar year, she concluded. 

Handicrafts exports from Iran reached some $146 million during the first nine months of the past Iranian calendar year, while exports amounted to $289 million in the year 1397 (March 2018-March 2019), according to data announced by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

Dozens of Iranian handicrafts have gained the UNESCO Seal of Excellence during the past couple of years. Some 75 percent of Iranian handicrafts are produced by females, Masoumeh Ebtekar, the vice president for women’s and family affairs, said in April 2018.

ABU/MG