Srinagar: Mohammad Yousuf Dar and his wife Shamema sat cross-legged in front of their loom, cleverly tied the continuous knots to create the floral pattern of the famous Kashmir rugs that are now threatened by the Trump administration’s full-scale tariffs.
Real hand-knotted Kashmir rugs are often made of pure silk and sometimes pure wool, which is even more challenging. Generations of craftsmen have communicated this craft to ensure its survival over the centuries, and although carpets are sold for quite a few prices, most craftsmen are barely able to make ends meet.
“I just helped my husband so that we have a certain diverse income to run our family,” Shamema, 43, excavated the Indian-controlled colorful silk threads in Srinagar, the main Indian-controlled Kashmir city, at her and Mohamad. They would regularly browse pale yellow paper called Taleem or illustrations that showcased the patterns they made in ancient shorthand for ancient symbols and numbers and numerals and hidden color maps.
The two learned the craftsmanship of 9 and 10 years old respectively.
The industry has been clashing for decades in disputed areas between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan and endured the fickleness of fashion to keep demand, decorate mansions and museums.
But Kashmir traders say U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on U.S. imports could be a huge blow to already threatening businesses that survive on mass-produced carpets that are cheaper, while artisans abandon the industry.
Although tariffs are mainly targeting major exporters such as China, they inadvertently occupied traditional handicraft industries from Kashmir and other regions, which relies on the survival of the US and European markets.
Official data shows that the value of carpet exports from India to the United States alone is about US$1.2 billion, and the total global export value is US$2 billion.
Mohamad, 50, said he was the only weaver of more than 100 people who moved to other jobs in the old city center of Srinagar City to two decades.
“I spent months knotting a carpet, but without the need, our skills are worthless,” he said.
Still, thousands of families in Kashmir rely on this craft to make a living, and a steep 28% tariff means imported carpets will become more expensive for American consumers and retailers.
“If these carpets would be more expensive in the United States, does that mean our wages would also rise?” Mohammed asked.
Not likely.
Experts say that the increase in costs for American consumers does not translate into higher wages for weavers, but often leads to lower orders, lower incomes and growing uncertainty among artisans.
This price increase could also push buyers toward cheaper alternatives to machine-making, while Kashmir artisans are in trouble.
Unless international trade policy shifts to protecting traditional industries, the hand-knotted legacy of Kashmir may continue to wear out until it disappears, insiders say.
Kashmir carpet supplier Wilayat Ali said his trading partners have canceled at least twelve orders that have been formulated.
“The exporters also returned dozens of carpets,” he said. “It boils down to hard arithmetic of profits and losses,” Ali explained. “They don’t see thousands of knots on the carpet, which takes months.”
