Significant Increase in Exports from Armenia to Turkey: FIP

Economist Aghasi Tavadyan stated in an interview with 1in.am that there has been a notable increase in exports to Turkey over the past three months, whereas previously nothing was exported.

“It is also interesting to look at the import statistics from Turkey. Imports from Turkey have been significantly reduced in the last two years (around 40 percent in the last two years), but interestingly, in the last two months we have seen a significant increase in exports to Turkey (over $20 million), whereas we previously exported nothing to Turkey,” the economist noted.

The Fact-Checking Platform attempted to clarify the volume of trade with Turkey, whether there truly has been an increase in exports to Turkey, and if so, which goods are responsible for it.

It should be noted that the land border between Armenia and Turkey has been closed since 1993, and there are no diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The claim that imports from Turkey have significantly decreased in the last two years is accurate. However, it is noteworthy that during the 44-day war, beginning from December 31, 2020, the import of Turkish-origin goods was banned by executive order due to Ankara’s undisguised support for Baku during the war. In December 2021, the government lifted the ban on importing Turkish-origin goods.

According to data from the Statistical Committee of Armenia, the country imported about $162 million worth of goods from Turkey in 2018, while in 2019, this figure was approximately $150 million. Starting in 2020, imports of Turkish goods sharply decreased to $99 million, and in 2021 it was only $33 million.

During the first half of 2022, there was already an increase in imports from Turkey, but not at previous rates, with around $34 million worth of goods imported within six months.

In the first half of this year, the volume of exports from Armenia to Turkey has increased dramatically. According to the State Revenue Committee, in the first six months of 2022, goods worth only $20.5 million were exported from Armenia to Turkey, which is unprecedented. In 2021, only $443,000 worth of goods were exported.

According to the data of the Armenian Customs Service, 353.1 kilograms of unprocessed gold or gold dust were exported to Turkey in the first half of 2022, worth a total of $20 million 167 thousand. Prior to this, no gold had been exported to Turkey, and it is this gold that has contributed to such an increase in exports. Additionally, $115,400 worth of livestock hides and other goods were exported to Turkey, which make up a minor portion of the exported goods.

In the first half of 2022, unprocessed gold was exported to three countries: the United Arab Emirates, India, and Turkey. It should be noted that since 2017, Switzerland has been the largest buyer of Armenian gold; prior to that, Canada held that position, and new significant directions for exports emerged starting in 2020 towards India and the UAE. Since 2022, neither Switzerland nor Canada has received gold exports, and instead, a new market has opened up towards Turkey.

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