Carpet exporters on Sunday said that they are trying to seek further support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to increase the export of Afghan carpets to the US and European markets.

Officials of Carpet Exporters Union on Sunday said that over the past one months, they have exported some carpets to Washington and Los Angeles worth over $48 000. They said that with the increase of exports of Afghan carpets to US and Europe, the prices of Afghan carpets will also be increased.

USAID has financially facilitated the movement of Afghan carpets to US markets.

According to exporters, Afghan carpets are currently sold at 30 percent higher prices than other carpets in US markets.

“USAID is providing us support to transfer our carpets to the US and Europe and is funding this program,” said Qurban Ali Jamshidzada, head of union

Presently the price of a one kg carpet in US and Canadian markets are is around $8. The union says that the USAID has committed to pay the price of transfer of the Afghan carpets to the US markets.

Carpet exporters say that if the government takes steps and pays the proper price for their exports, they are ready to increase the exports of their unique products to the American and EU markets.

“We want the US to provide us visa facilities so that we can freely export carpets to the United States,” said Husain Barat businessman