LAHORE: Pakistan’s carpet makers are poised to ink millions of dollars worth of export deals in an international exhibition that is set to take place in Lahore, CTI chairperson Ijaz-ur-Rehman said while addressing a group of industrialists and exporters on Sunday.
Rehman addressed industrialists and exporters at a conference ahead of the International Handloom Carpet Exhibition, which will run in Lahore from October 6 to 8. He added that the exhibition will boost the local industry and make the expertise of the local artisans known on an international scale.
Pakistan Carpet Expo Begins
Focus Pakistan learnt, it became clear that this exhibition is actually part of a larger effort by the Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA), which aims at making sure that Pakistan increases its reach in the world of handlooms. According to Rehman, PCMEA has organized the exhibition every year for the past 42 years.
Global Buyers Eye Pakistan Carpets
Rehman told the audience that international exhibitions would connect Pakistani weaving artisans directly with global buyers. Through these international shows, the exporters can find their way into new markets, develop business partnerships and follow design trends in the marketplace first hand.
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He associated the show with four key results – increased exports, economic growth, global business ties, and cultural diplomacy. Rehman argued that handmade carpets carry Pakistan’s craft heritage into foreign markets in a way few other exports can match, turning each sale into a small act of cultural exchange alongside a commercial transaction.
Rehman singled out seven countries as hosts of the world’s most consequential carpet exhibitions: Germany, Pakistan, Turkey, China, India, Iran and Azerbaijan. He described these events as the primary platforms where the global handmade carpet trade sets its direction each year.
Rehman pressed local industrialists and exporters to bring their strongest inventory to the Lahore show. He asked them to display high-quality handmade carpets, fresh designs and varied color combinations that match current global tastes, rather than falling back on older, familiar collections.
According to him, the quality and diversity of goods that the exporters bring to the trade fair floor will be the determining factor for how much attention will be paid by international buyers to the stalls of Pakistan. According to Rehman, this three-day long event is a small but important opportunity for small-scale producers.
Pakistan Carpet Exports Grow
The CTI chairperson did not name specific companies or countries expected to sign deals at the October exhibition. He also did not disclose a target export figure beyond the “millions of dollars” estimate he gave to the gathering.
Pakistan’s carpet sector, built on generations of handloom weaving traditions, has long depended on exhibitions like PCMEA’s to connect artisans in cities such as Lahore with buyers scattered across Europe, the Gulf and Asia. Preparations for the October event are already underway among PCMEA member exporters.
The Lahore exhibition will run for three days, giving exporters a compressed but high-stakes opportunity to convert Rehman’s projected millions into signed contracts.
