Armenian export data confirms Western suspicions that Yerevan is helping the Russian Federation to circumvent sanctions: in January-June 2023, Armenia significantly increased exports to Russia and Belarus, and such growth has been observed in leaps and bounds since 2022, that is, after the start of the war in Ukraine, Ednews informs referring to Armenian statistics.
Exports from Armenia in January-June 2023 as a whole increased by 72.8% compared to the same period in 2022, to $3.266 billion, of which Russia accounts for $1.676 billion. Armenia's export to the Russian Federation tripled in the reporting period.
Moreover, Russia is one of the top three foreign economic partners of Armenia along with the UAE and China. At the same time, the amount of exports to the Russian Federation is 2.5 times higher than the cost of supplies from these two countries combined.
In the general statistics of export goods of Armenia for the specified period, the following are distinguished: precious and semi-precious stones and metals, as well as products made from them; machines, equipment; prepared foodstuffs; mining products; means of ground, air and water transport and others.
It is noteworthy that the trend of growth in Armenia's exports to the Russian Federation has been observed since the beginning of 2022, though all other countries, against the backdrop of sanctions against Russia after its attack on Ukraine, have only seen a decline in trade with it.
According to TrendEconomy, Russia has become one of the main export markets for Armenia in 2022 with a 44% share ($2.36 billion). In turn, the Armenian media note that in 2021, exports to the Russian Federation amounted to only $847.25 million, and Russia's share in Armenia's export basket was 28%.
Such a significant increase in the supply of goods from Armenia to the Russian Federation can be explained by the circumvention of sanctions, which various countries have repeatedly accused Yerevan of.
Earlier, The Economist noted that Yerevan is helping Moscow bypass Western sanctions.
“New trading partners have sprung up to replace the West. China now sells twice as much to Russia as it did in 2019. “Parallel” imports - unauthorized sales from the West to Russia via a third country of everything from fizzy drinks to computer chips - have soared. In 2022 imports from the EU to Armenia mysteriously doubled, even as Armenian exports to Russia tripled,” reads the article.
The suspicions of the West, which Armenia denies, are confirmed by the facts: in the first half of 2023 alone, Armenia’s exports to the Russian Federation outperformed the data for the entire 2021.
