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Hand-knotted carpets fetch $ 23m in Domotex, Atlanta fairs

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Pakistani hand-knotted carpets worth about $ 23 million were sold and orders booked at Domotex Fair in Hanover, Germany and Atlanta Fair in USA, the world's largest carpet exhibitions, held in the third week of January, 2000.

According to a press release issued here on Monday, a large number of Pakistani carpet exporters, who returned after participating in the two international fairs said that Pakistani carpets performed much better as compared to the previous year and brisk activity was seen at all those stalls, displaying Pakistani goods.

Pakistani exhibitors and promoters, including nine stall holders from Lahore and six from Karachi, expressed satisfaction over the sale of new classical-tribal design carpets being made in Pakistan. They stated that buyers at Domotex also showed renewed interest in Pakistan's traditional carpets, which fared better than last year. According to them, the sale of Pakistani carpets at Domotex is estimated at around $9 million.

The Atlanta fair, the biggest carpet fair in the United States held on January 13 to 15, proved a good market for the innovative tribal-classical design carpets from Pakistan known as the 'Khyber Collection'. The Pakistani participants in the Atlanta market said that Pakistan has now carved out a niche for itself in the world market as a producer of quality carpets.

They said that in sustaining the momentum of carpet exports from Pakistan, major Pakistani manufacturers and exporters, especially the top 10 Export Houses had played a leading role. They said that Pakistani carpets worth $14 million were sold at Atlanta.

Carpet trade circles expect that in view of the growing popularity of Pakistani carpets in the world market, carpet exports may well cross the Rs 13 billion mark during the current year.