Ministry of Economy Presents Bill to Ban Import of Ferrous Metals

The Ministry of Economy of Armenia has presented a draft bill titled "Temporary Ban on the Import of Certain Goods from Third Countries" for public discussion until January 3. The draft, published on e-draft.am, proposes a six-month ban on the import of ferrous metal products from third countries. This ban aims to reduce the potential risks of halting the operations of local foundries and rebar manufacturers while creating favorable conditions for domestic metallurgical enterprises to supply locally-produced raw materials, enabling them to produce local rebar without interrupting the established production chain (from scrap to complex product manufacturing).

The justification for this initiative states that the development of the draft governmental decision on "Imposing a Temporary Ban on the Import of Certain Goods from Third Countries" is necessary to promote heavy industry as a dominant sector of the national manufacturing industry and to regulate the production and domestic trade of strategically important goods, specifically ferrous metals.

It is anticipated that the adoption of the draft will prevent operational disruptions in Armenia's metallurgical and metal processing enterprises, foster the production of economically complex metal products with high added value, ensure a complete local production cycle, and implement an import substitution policy. According to Trading Economics, Armenia's total import volume increased to $1.193.6 billion in October, compared to $980.2 million in September 2025.