Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce say they are working to facilitate the export of Afghan carpets to European markets through Turkey.
The ministry officials stated that discussions have been held with Turkish authorities to find new markets for Afghan carpets.
According to them, if progress is made in these talks, Afghan carpets will be exported via Iran to Turkey, and from there to Europe.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry spokesman Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada said: “We want to have an alternative route for exporting our carpets. In the past, our carpets were exported through Pakistan. Our people are aware that from time to time, Pakistan created obstacles for our carpet exports. Now we are looking for more alternative routes, particularly through the United Arab Emirates and Turkey,”
“In our meeting with Turkish carpet officials, we reached an understanding that they would reduce the tax on Afghan carpets so that we can increase exports of our carpets to Turkey itself and to European countries through Turkey,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said in order to find new markets for the country’s carpets, trade relations between Afghanistan and Turkey must expand so that opportunities for carpet exports can also be created.
Afghanistan produces up to one million square meters of carpet annually, with hundreds of thousands of people employed in the sector.
The ministry stated that it is working to provide more support to carpet producers, including designated spaces, so that the industry can grow further in the future.
