Proposal to Temporarily Ban the Import of Turkish-Origin Products into Armenia

The Ministry of Economy of Armenia has presented a draft for public discussion that proposes a temporary ban on the import of Turkish-origin products into the Republic of Armenia.

It is stated in the justification that the limitation on the import of Turkish products is primarily of an economic nature but also carries a security component, as it is a known fact that Turkey openly supports Azerbaijan in its military and terrorist actions against Artsakh.

“The Turkish authorities undermine regional stability with their inciting calls, supplying arms to Azerbaijan, and transporting mercenary-terrorists to the region, thereby disrupting the peaceful resolution process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs,” the draft justification continues.

The ban on the import of Turkish origin products not only serves as an economic sanction against Turkey but also from a security perspective, it halts the financial inflow to the Turkish state treasury from Armenian sources, which could otherwise be used to support Azerbaijan. Simultaneously, it prevents the infiltration of various dangers through the import of final consumption goods from a hostile country.

It should also be emphasized that some of our entrepreneurs and a portion of the population have already voluntarily responded to their attitudes towards Turkish-origin products by limiting their sales and refraining from purchasing such products.

I also want to assure that in the case of limiting the import of these products, there will be no shortage of these goods in the Armenian market, as they can be easily replaced by imports from other markets or through local production, which is certainly preferable.

In 2019, imports from Turkey to the Republic of Armenia constituted $268.1 million according to the country of origin. The main product groups imported from Turkey include: clothing - $69.4 million, citrus fruits - $10.3 million, machinery, equipment, and mechanisms (e.g., electric heaters, refrigerators) - $35.3 million, oil and petroleum products - $24.3 million, products from the chemical and related industries - $23.6 million, and non-precious metals and articles made from them - $21.6 million.

According to preliminary estimates, the value of final consumption goods from imports, worth 128 billion drams from Turkey in 2019, constitutes about 100 billion drams. The value of intermediate consumption goods reached 28 billion drams,” states the draft justification.

It is also noted that this decision will take effect on December 31, 2020, and will remain in force for six months.