Iran's chamber president plans to expand exports to China, calling China a good opportunity

Iran is exceptionally rich in oil and natural gas reserves. Oil is the lifeblood of Iran's economy, and at present Iran is the world's second-largest crude oil exporter. Proven crude oil reserves stand at a conservative estimate of 93 billion barrels, accounting for 10% of the world's total oil reserves and ranking fifth in the world. Proven natural gas reserves are 24 trillion cubic meters, accounting for 16% of the world's total and ranking second in the world after Russia. Oil is the lifeblood of Iran's economy; current daily production capacity reaches 4.1 million barrels, oil revenue accounts for 90% of all foreign exchange income, and Iran has become the second-largest crude oil exporter among OPEC member states.

Besides oil and natural gas, Iranian carpets enjoy a world-renowned reputation. Iranian carpets have developed rapidly since the victory of the Islamic Revolution and have now become the second-largest export commodity after oil; therefore, carpets not only represent Iran's long and profound culture but also bring Iran huge foreign exchange income.

In the face of sanctions, Khalili, vice chairman of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that in recent years trade between China and Iran has mainly concentrated in the energy, minerals and technology industries, and China hopes to continue expanding China-Iran trade on the existing basis. In addition, China's current per capita minimum income is about three times that of Iran, and Chinese residents have very strong purchasing power; all of these are good opportunities for expanding carpet exports to China. Khalili suggested that Iranian carpet merchants avoid exporting low-quality goods to China and should focus on improving carpet quality and branding, striving to build Iranian carpets into a luxury consumer concept.

Iranian carpets are world-famous because the requirements for selecting materials, color blending, pattern design and weaving techniques are all extremely strict. Authentic Persian carpets are entirely hand-woven, very time-consuming and labor-intensive. They use carefully chosen materials, generally selected from three materials: pure silk, cotton and wool, and the more silk is used, the more valuable they are. Dyes are extracted from natural plants and minerals, such as pomegranate peel, walnut shell, madder, reseda, indigo, potassium alum and so on. Dyes extracted in this way can keep their color from fading over a long time; many extant Iranian carpets woven hundreds of years ago still have very vivid colors.

Pattern design and weaving techniques are the most breathtaking aspects of Persian carpets. Traditional Persian carpet patterns are most typically represented by flowers and vines symbolizing paradise, various mosque buildings, grand court and hunting scenes, and religious totems. Modern and contemporary Persian carpets have also added some unique elements from other countries around the world, but generally speaking, Persian carpet patterns are all gorgeous and complex. When weaving a carpet, more than ten or even dozens of different colored threads are needed, and then these threads are woven according to the design pattern along different warps and wefts, finally forming a large carpet with lifelike patterns; the superb craftsmanship is breathtaking.