Exports of Iranian footwear to Afghanistan have fully stopped, according to a source with the knowledge of the matter.
Rasoul Shajari, the head of the Union for Manufacturers and Sellers of Hand-Made Shoes of Tehran, said that the halt of the Iranian footwear exports to Afghanistan has been as a result of the rise of Taliban in the country, ISNA news agency reported.
He said that Iran’s total exports of footwear stood at around $90 million last year.
Shajari also said that unrests in Iraq this year have had an impact on the exports of Iranian shoes to the country.
Ali Lashgari, a member of the Association of Managers and Experts of Iran’s Shoe Industry, had said earlier in March that Iran’s footwear market is valued at $2 billion per year.
He said that “Over the past few years and after the re-imposition of economic sanctions, local producers managed to increase their market share from 75% to 95% last year.”