Dear Visitor,
The United States enacted an embargo on all Iranian made products on Sept. 29, 2010 and that of course includes Iranian made Persian rugs. This import embargo is similar to the one we had from 1986 to 1999 and basically means that no Iranian made products can be imported into the US.  It is perfectly fine to purchase Persian rugs that are already in the US prior to that date.

Here are important tips about the embargo:

• The embargo took effect Sept. 29, 2010 and prohibits the importation of all Iranian products including Persian rugs (and pistachios to my chagrin).

• It is perfectly legal to purchase Persian rugs as long as they were already in the US prior to the start of the embargo.  For example, all of my rugs that you see in my website are here in the US and were imported prior to the embargo, so they are perfectly fine to sell.

• As the embargo stays in effect, the supply of fine Persian rugs will start to dwindle and you will see a small but steady increase in prices. Unlike the previous embargo, which caused a lot of rug sellers to smuggle the rugs through Canada, this one is actually being thoroughly enforced my US and Canadian customs and we have already heard of several arrests and big fines.

• There are already shady auctions and gimmicks starting to appear as a result of the embargo and I can only advice you to be very careful. As a rule, confiscated rugs will be shipped back to the country of origin and if businesses or traveling rug sellers start so-called government auctions, be very careful. Chances are you will be taken to the cleaners.

• The last embargo lasted 13 years and I hope that this one will not stay that long, although I'm not holding my breath. Being that this embargo is tied in with the politics in the Middle East, I have stocked up an ample supply of liquor and aspirin to carry me through the days.....

• If there are any changes in the embargo, I will update my website promptly.

How will this embargo effect my business here at MPrugs.com:

• Since the embargo was announced a few months in advance, I was able to stock up on as many fine rugs as I could get and what you see is all I have. Since I only deal in genuine high end Iranian rugs, I will not be able to import any more rugs until the embargo is lifted.

• Unlike most rug sellers, I run a small home based business and do not depend on the sale of rugs to make a living. As a result, I do not plan on raising my prices and will not resort to any bogus gimmicks.

• Thanks to my family's connections with the weavers, I was able to get a lot of rare and popular rugs and I expect them to sell fairly quickly. As to what will happen in the future, I do not know at this point, but I do plan to stay involved in the rug business. My website has been up since 1999 and I will continue to maintain my personal passion in rugs for as long as I can.

I hope that this information is of help to you and please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,