After Washington imposed sanctions on several sectors of Tehran's faltering economy, including Iran's famed carpets, Turkey found the scene empty and the opportunity to fill the market's thirst for this world-wide and American product.
The Turkish news agency Anatolia reported that Ankara aims to export US $ 1.5 million worth of carpets to the United States, including $ 500 million in 2018.
"The United States ranks first among the target markets," Anatolia quoted the president of the Anatolia Southeast Carpets Exporters Association as saying.
"By the end of this year, we will have exported one-third of the carpet, which we are aiming to export to the United States of $ 1.5 billion," Qablan said.
The Turkish official revealed that Turkey has exported to the United States a $ 350 million in carpets this year.
The Gaziantep region of south-eastern Turkey produces 30 percent of the world's manufactured carpets and 90 percent of Turkey's total carpet production.
In May, US President Donald Trump announced Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran and imposed a first package of sanctions on the carpet sector.
On Monday, Washington imposed a second round of sanctions targeting vital sectors of Iran, notably oil.
