Product

Machine-made carpets and rugs from Gaziantep: what to specify

Lotvela · Gaziantep · Checked 29 October 2026

Gaziantep is the centre of Türkiye's carpet industry. Firms registered there exported $1.98 billion of carpets in 2025, 69.6% of Türkiye's total, and the Ministry of Trade says most Turkish machine-made carpets come from Gaziantep-based firms; Türkiye was the world's second-largest machine-carpet exporter after China. The one thing to get right is a written specification (pile yarn, density, pile height, backing, size) backed by test reports for the rules of your market.

Gaziantep in numbers

Measure	Figure	Source and period
Carpet exports by firms registered in Gaziantep	$1,975.3m, 69.6% of Türkiye's $2,838.5m	TİM province data and GAİB carpet report, 2025
Same, January–September 2026	$1,453.5m, up 4.6%; 72.1% of Türkiye (computed)	TİM province data, Jan–Sep 2026
Machine-made carpets registered with the south-east carpet exporters' association	$1,644.9m, 76.2% of Türkiye's $2,158.9m (computed)	GAİB carpet report, 2025
Tufted carpets, same association	$280.4m, 52.3% of Türkiye (computed)	GAİB carpet report, 2025
Carpet and rug makers in Gaziantep (NACE 13.93)	128 firms, 15,362 workers: 37% of Türkiye's firms and 47.5% of its jobs in the activity, first in Türkiye	TOBB industry database 2025, in Akpirinç and Sandal (2025)
Türkiye's machine-made carpet exports	$2,257m, 24.8% of world exports, second after China ($2,837m, 31.2%)	Ministry of Trade, Halı Sektör Raporu 2026 (ITC Trade Map data), 2025
Main product	HS 5702.42 (woven pile rugs of man-made fibres, made up): 90.4% of Türkiye's machine-made carpet exports	Ministry of Trade, 2025

The bases differ. TİM counts exports by the firm's legal head office. The association counts export registrations from all south-eastern provinces, and a Gaziantep firm may register elsewhere, so the two do not add up.

Markets. Carpets registered with the association went to 144 countries in 2025. The largest were the USA ($535.3m, 27.3%), Iraq ($233.4m, 11.9%), Saudi Arabia ($228.9m, 11.7%), the UK ($126.4m, 6.4%), the UAE ($64.9m) and Germany ($63.8m) (GAİB, 2025). For Türkiye's machine-made carpets as a whole, the USA took 29.4%, Saudi Arabia 12.0% and Iraq 8.1% (Ministry of Trade, 2025).

Where the mills are. All the large producers named below give addresses in the Gaziantep (Başpınar) Organised Industrial Zone, which had 1,152 firms in zones 1–5 in 2025; with zone 6 it will cover 5,538 hectares, the largest industrial zone area in Türkiye (Akpirinç and Sandal, 2025). The ministry names Kayseri and Istanbul as the other machine-carpet centres. For the city's other industries, see what Gaziantep makes.

Large producers

TİM's list of Türkiye's 1,000 largest exporters for 2025 ranks firms by their carpet-sector exports. Of the ten largest carpet exporters in it, eight are registered in Gaziantep, one of which asked TİM not to publish its name; the other two are registered in Istanbul and Uşak (computed from TİM's sector and province columns). Gaziantep's largest carpet exporters in TİM's 2025 list include:

Company (as listed by TİM)	Carpet-sector rank, 2025	Overall rank, 2025	Production in Gaziantep (company website)
Milat Halı San. ve Tic. A.Ş.	3	374	Weaves rugs; address in the 5th Organised Industrial Zone
Kartal Halı Tekstil San. ve Tic. A.Ş.	5	371	Makes area rugs, wall-to-wall carpet and PP yarn; Başpınar zone 4
Empera Halı Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.	7	586	Produces at its Gaziantep centre with 42 weaving looms; zone 4
Merinos Halı San. ve Tic. A.Ş.	8	529	Integrated plants in Gaziantep and Çerkezköy (Tekirdağ)
Bade Dış Ticaret A.Ş.	9	611	Bade Halı states production at its Gaziantep facility; zone 4
Safyün Dokuma Ürünleri İç ve Dış Ticaret A.Ş.	10	628	Group company Safyün Halı makes machine carpets; zone 5

Product types and specifications

Most machine-made carpets from Gaziantep are woven face to face (Wilton type): the loom weaves two rugs at once, pile to pile, and cuts them apart (Uskaner and Sarıoğlu, 2007, Gaziantep University). Tufted carpets (HS 5703) are made by inserting yarn into a ready-woven base. If you need Axminster or hand-tufted rugs, say so: we found no official figure on how much of either Gaziantep makes.

Pile yarn. Wilton pile yarns include wool, acrylic, polyamide and polypropylene (Uskaner and Sarıoğlu); Gaziantep mills also list heat-set, frieze, BCF, shaggy and viscose yarns. Name the fibre (PP, polyester, acrylic, viscose, wool blend), its share by weight and the yarn type.
Density. Pile points per square metre: the warp count across the width times the weft count along the length. Ask for both counts, measured on the finished rug.
Pile height and weight. Pile height significantly affects thickness and appearance retention (Güneşoğlu, 2017). State it in millimetres, with pile weight and total weight in g/m².
Backing and edges. Studies used polyester-cotton warp, jute weft and a latex coat, which strengthens the warp (Güler and Yücel, 2023; Uskaner and Sarıoğlu). Specify these, any non-slip backing, and overlocked, bound or fringed edges.
Sizes. Each size with a tolerance, plus runners and rounds. Loom width sets the largest size. Wall-to-wall carpet is sold by roll width.
Woven or printed. A woven rug's pattern comes from coloured yarns; a printed rug's is printed on the face. State which, and the colour fastness you need.
Washable, shaggy, outdoor. For washable rugs, state wash temperature and cycles and ask for a wash test with the backing. For outdoor rugs, state UV and water resistance.

Mosque carpets and prayer rugs have their own page: mosque carpets and prayer rugs.

Tufted, hand-made rugs and kilims

Türkiye exported $550m of tufted carpets in 2025, fifth in the world with 7.2%; the UK was the largest market at 25.8% (Ministry of Trade). Hand-made rugs are a small part of Gaziantep's trade: the association registered $33.9m of hand-made carpets in 2025, up 92%, and $2.3m of kilims. Türkiye's hand-made exports (HS 5701, 5702.10, 5805) were $86.8m, third in the world with 8.3%; the USA (34.3%) and Japan (30.9%) took most. For kilim wholesale, get in writing whether each piece is hand-woven or a machine-made kilim design, and its fibre.

Quality, and how to check a carpet producer

Quality follows the specification. Studies test woven rugs for thickness, weight, tuft withdrawal force, appearance change, thickness loss under load, and compression and recovery (Güneşoğlu, 2017). Ask for these on your exact quality from an independent laboratory, using the methods your customer names, plus colour fastness and, for the US, the flammability test. Inspect finished rugs against an approved sample before shipment. On a site visit, check:

Who weaves. In TİM's 2025 list several large carpet exporters are classed as exporters or group trading companies, not producer-exporters. Ask which company weaves your order.
Looms and yarn. Number, type and width of looms; own yarn extrusion or heat-setting, and how yarn lots are kept apart.
Finishing and records. Latex, shearing and edge finishing; in-house lab, inspection records per lot, and recent shipments and test reports for your market.

Our guide to checking a Turkish factory covers registers, documents and visits.

Rules by market

Checked on 29 October 2026. Rules change; confirm with your importer or compliance adviser.

United States

Flammability. 16 CFR 1630 covers rugs with one side over 1.83 m (6 ft) and an area over 2.23 m² (24 sq ft); 16 CFR 1631 covers smaller rugs. In this pill test 7 of 8 specimens must pass. A small rug that fails may be sold only with a permanent "FLAMMABLE (FAILS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STANDARD FF 2-70)" label; large rugs must pass. Fire-retardant-treated rugs carry a "T" on the label or invoice (1630.32). For a guaranty, 1630.31 counts a test at the start of a quality, after the first 25,000 linear yards and every 50,000 after that. Rugs labelled for outdoor use only are out of scope (CPSC FAQ).
Certificate. General-use rugs need a General Certificate of Conformity; children's rugs need testing by a CPSC-accepted laboratory and a Children's Product Certificate (CPSC FAQ). Since 8 July 2026 importers must eFile certificate data with CBP at entry; for goods from a foreign-trade zone, from 8 January 2027 (CPSC final rule).
Labelling. Textile fibre labelling rules cover floor coverings (16 CFR 303.45): fibre names and percentages, the name or RN of a responsible company, and the country of manufacture (303.16, 303.33). With an exempt backing, the fibre content must say it covers only the face or pile (303.11). Imports also need origin marking (19 CFR 134.11).

European Union

Safety. The General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 applies from 13 December 2024. Manufacturers must carry out a risk analysis and keep technical documentation (Article 9), and an economic operator established in the EU must be responsible for the product (Article 16).
Fibre labelling. Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 covers rugs as textile products. Where the backing and the use-surface are of different fibres, the composition may be given for the use-surface alone, which must be named (Annex IV, point 8).
Chemicals (REACH Annex XVII). Entry 72 (carcinogenic and similar substances in textiles) exempts carpets, rugs and runners, pending a Commission review (Regulation (EU) 2018/1513). Entry 43 bans certain azo dyes in textiles in prolonged skin contact, with clothing and bedding as examples (Regulation (EC) 552/2009); ask your importer whether it applies to your rug. From 10 October 2027, non-clothing textiles for the general public, which the regulation says include carpets and rugs, must contain less than 25 ppb PFHxA and 1,000 ppb PFHxA-related substances (Regulation (EU) 2024/2462, entry 79). Ask for PFHxA-free stain and water repellents if stock may sell after that date.
Wall-to-wall carpet. Textile floor coverings for buildings follow EN 14041, with CE marking and reaction to fire declared as an EN 13501-1 class; the standard excludes loose-laid mats, runners and rugs. The Construction Products Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 applies from 8 January 2026.

United Kingdom

Safety. In Great Britain the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 apply, with no outstanding changes listed on legislation.gov.uk.
Labelling and chemicals. Retained Regulation 1007/2011 keeps the use-surface rule (Annex IV, point 8), enforced by the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012. UK REACH Annex XVII entry 72 has the same rug exemption.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Saudi Arabia. SASO's Technical Regulation of Textile Products (Issue 2, mandatory from 12 July 2024) covers carpets; its product list includes HS 5701–5705, and the SABER platform holds the current list. Carpet labels add technical characteristics and conditions of use, fixed firmly or stuck on the back; mosque carpets follow their own Saudi standard. Products other than children's items and underwear need a certificate of conformity from a SASO-accepted body (Type 1a, ISO/IEC 17067).
UAE. Cabinet Resolution No. 54 of 2019 (UAE Scheme for the Control of Textile Products, in force since 16 August 2019) covers ready-to-use textiles including carpets. Products are registered under the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS), run by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and labels carry the ECAS mark, components, chemical components, storage information and a batch code.

HS codes and proof of origin

HS code	Product	US general duty (HTSUS)
5702.42	Woven pile rugs of man-made fibres, made up	Free
5702.92	Woven flat (non-pile) rugs of man-made fibres, made up	2.7%
5703.39	Tufted carpets of other man-made fibres (5703.39.20)	6%
5705.00	Other carpets and textile floor coverings (5705.00.20)	3.3%
5702.10	Kilims, sumak, karamani and similar hand-woven rugs	Free

Rates from the USITC tariff database, checked 29 October 2026. Printed and washable rugs may fall under different codes depending on construction; ask your broker for a classification before you order.

United States. On top of the HTSUS rate, products of Türkiye entered from 24 July 2026 pay an additional 12.5% Section 301 tariff, unless an exemption in the notice's annexes applies (Federal Register, 28 July 2026). Mark each rug with the country of origin.
European Union. Carpets are industrial products, covered by the EU–Türkiye customs union. Goods in free circulation in Türkiye move to the EU with an A.TR movement certificate, which proves their customs status, not their origin, and pay no EU customs duty. Agricultural and steel products are outside the customs union and follow separate rules (Access2Markets).
United Kingdom. Under the UK–Türkiye trade agreement, the preferential rate applies only to goods that meet its rules of origin, proved by the exporter's declaration on origin on the invoice or another commercial document. It is valid for 24 months for imports into the UK (GOV.UK). For 5702 42 00 00 the UK third-country duty is 8% and the preference for Türkiye 0% (UK Trade Tariff).
Gulf. Ask your importer which certificate of origin and legalisation it needs.

Packing, loading and shipping

We do not quote freight. Agree these points with each producer and your forwarder:

Rolled or folded, the wrapping (film, bales or cartons), and a label outside each piece.
The size and design mix per container, and how many pieces fit.
Full or shared container, port of loading, Incoterm, and who books and insures. Wooden pallets must meet your destination's wood-packaging rules.
Documents: invoice, packing list with sizes and weights, origin document, and the test reports and certificates for your market.

Questions buyers ask

Are Turkish rugs good quality?

Turkish mills weave rugs across a wide range of specifications, so the country tells you little. Quality follows the pile yarn, the density in points per square metre, pile height, backing and finishing. Put these in writing, ask for test reports on your exact quality from an independent laboratory, and inspect finished rugs against an approved sample before shipment. A rug that meets its specification and your market's rules is a good rug.

Are polypropylene rugs safe?

Safety questions for PP rugs are about fire, chemicals and slipping, and each market answers them with rules. In the US every rug must pass the 16 CFR 1630 or 1631 flammability test. In the EU, the product safety regulation applies, and from 10 October 2027 PFHxA is restricted in rugs for the general public. Ask for test reports for the exact quality, and a non-slip backing if needed.

How much does it cost to ship a rug from Turkey?

It depends on volume, not just weight. Freight is charged per container or per cubic metre, so cost per rug depends on how many fit: rolled or folded, bale size and the size mix. Then add route and port, Incoterm, insurance, the destination duty (in the US, the HTSUS rate plus the 12.5% Section 301 tariff), broker fees and inland delivery. Single rugs travel by courier, priced by size and weight.

Can I find washable rug manufacturers in Türkiye?

State washability as a specification, not a label. Give the wash temperature and number of cycles the rug must survive, and ask for a wash test on the finished rug, including the backing, shrinkage and colour fastness. Washability depends on construction and backing, so it varies by producer and quality. We include it in the brief and check each producer's test results.

What duty do Turkish rugs pay in the US?

Woven pile rugs of man-made fibres (HTSUS 5702.42) have a general rate of free; flat-woven man-made rugs (5702.92) 2.7%; tufted man-made rugs (5703.39.20) 6%. Since 24 July 2026 products of Türkiye also pay an additional 12.5% Section 301 tariff unless exempted. We checked these on 29 October 2026; confirm the code and rate with your customs broker.

What is the minimum order for Turkish rugs wholesale?

Minimum orders are set per producer and per order. They depend on loom set-up, the number of designs and colours, whether you take collection designs or custom ones, and how sizes are mixed in a container. State your quantity per design and size in the brief, and we confirm each producer's minimum in writing.

What to put in your brief

Item	What to state
Product	Area rug, runner, wall-to-wall or mosque carpet; woven, tufted, printed or flat-woven; shaggy, washable or outdoor
Pile yarn	Fibre and share by weight (PP heat-set, BCF or frieze, polyester, acrylic, viscose, wool blend)
Density and pile	Points per m² with warp and weft counts; pile height in mm; pile and total weight in g/m²
Backing and edges	Warp and weft fibres, latex, non-slip backing; overlocked, bound or fringed
Sizes	Each size with tolerance; runners, rounds, roll widths
Design and colour	Design codes or artwork, colour standard, approval sample
Performance	Wash cycles and temperature, UV resistance, colour fastness, PFHxA-free finishes
Market and tests	US 16 CFR 1630/1631 and a General Certificate of Conformity; EU or UK safety and labelling; SASO certificate; UAE ECAS
Labels and packing	Fibre and origin label, barcodes, rolled or folded, bale or carton, pallets
Quantity and timing	Pieces or m² per design and size, containers per year, delivery window
Delivery and documents	Incoterm, destination port, origin document, test reports

Sending a brief to Lotvela

Lotvela is a sourcing intermediary based in Gaziantep, the city where these mills operate. Send a brief and we contact and visit the carpet mills that fit it, large or mid-size: we check product fit, a free production window, export record and documents, then send a dated shortlist with every claim marked confirmed or not confirmed. It is free for buyers: the producer pays a commission at the same rate for every producer, invoices and ships, and money never passes through Lotvela.