Certain Cases of Attempted Import of Turkish Goods, Says Customs Official

Since the ban on the import of Turkish-origin goods in Armenia that has been in effect since 2021, there are still importers attempting to circumvent that decision by presenting their imported products under the name of another country. This was stated today by Artem Karapetyan, head of the Customs Control Department of the State Revenue Committee (SRC) during a meeting with journalists.

“We have certain cases where attempts have been made to import them. They have been removed from the country and the imports have not been allowed. As for the likelihood, I can say that we are aware of all risks and know what risks may arise. With our administrative tools, we will definitely limit all those illegal activities,” said the SRC official.

During the press conference, Karapetyan also mentioned that according to official statistics, customs duties of 25 billion drams were collected in 2019. However, he disagrees with the observation that the ban would lead to such a decrease in the State Budget of the Republic of Armenia.

“To assume that as a result of the restrictions from January to June 2020, we will have, for example, a decrease of 12 billion drams, is incorrect at this stage because various processes are taking place. For instance, many economic operators are beginning to restructure their businesses and start bringing in the same type of goods from other countries, such as China,” he said.

Karapetyan also noted that large volumes of goods imported from Turkey in the last months of 2019 and the first months of 2020 are still receiving customs clearance.

He mentioned that the main goods imported from Turkey include clothing, citrus fruits, aluminum rods, and specialized washing agents.