Balkh commerce department to establish permanent carpet expo

Balkh Industry and Commerce Department officials say they are working on establishing a permanent carpet expo in the province in order to attract domestic and global trade.

Nasir Ahmad Niazi, Deputy Financial Commissioner of Industry and Commerce, said Sunday that efforts are underway with the Carpet Manufacturers Union to create a permanent carpet expo.

“We should have a market that is a permanent expo for carpets, and we started to establish a carpet expo,”

“The work of this expo has progressed 70% and we have chosen its location,” said Niazi.

The officials of the Carpet Manufacturers Union in the north of Afghanistan meanwhile said that compared to last year, carpet production has increased by 25 percent. 

“Carpet production has increased by 25 percent since the Islamic Emirate’s takeover,” said Mohammad Anwar Rahimi, head of the carpet union.

According to him, a sizeable amount of these hand-woven carpets are smuggled to neighboring countries and then sold to world markets under the name of those countries.

On the other hand, some carpet sellers in Balkh province have expressed concern over the lack of a market for their products.

According to them, while carpet production has increased compared to last year, there is only a small domestic and foreign market.

Hand-woven carpets from the north of Afghanistan always had a good reputation, boasting unique colors and designs which appealed to a global market.