Demand for machine-made carpets grows

Handmade carpets are premium-quality floor coverings that consumers pay a lot of money for, and many believe they are better quality than machine-made carpets. However, a carpet exporter in Pakistan has claimed that modern carpet machines can make weaved carpets whose knots are as good as those made by artisan carpet makers, and that the demand for machine-made carpets is growing.

The Chief Executive of a major carpet exporter in Pakistan, Mian Attiq-ur-Rahman, is moving from exporting hand-knotted carpets to machine-woven ones. Speaking to Bol News, he said that the total value of handmade carpet exports from Pakistan has fallen to around $60 million annually, compared to the much higher value in the 1990s of $350 million.

Attiq-ur-Rahman said that Turkey had a similar fall in handmade carpet sales, which it addressed by importing new carpet-making machinery so that it could export more quality machine-made carpets. He wants Pakistan to follow the Turkish model, saying that:

“The global trend is changing. Machine-made carpets are now in huge demand. High-tech machine weaves are as good as knots made by an artisan. The government should facilitate exporters in shifting from hand-knotted to machine-weaved carpets.”

Carpets in North Wales and Chester rooms are a popular floor covering. Some believe that a handmade carpet is superior to machine-made ones, but they can be a costly investment for many households. A premium-quality wool carpet made by a machine is a suitable alternative. Wool carpets are available in a wide range of patterns and colours that make them look similar to handmade ones.