Armenia Exports to EU Jump 51% to $717m

Armenia's exports to the European Union rose 51% to $717 million in January to September 2026, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said, according to ARKA's weekly review published for 19 to 25 October 2026. By CBJ's calculation, that implies about $475 million a year earlier, an increase of roughly $242 million.

The figure covers a period before the EU's new trade measure took effect. The temporary suspension of duties on about 80% of Armenia's exports to the EU has applied for two years since 10 October 2026 under Regulation (EU) 2026/2269, published in the Official Journal on 9 October 2026. CBJ covered the earlier steps, including the EU approval for Armenian fish exports. The nine-month growth therefore came before the new duty relief, which matters when judging what comes next.

A wider push on markets

Papoyan also said Armenian exports grew about 33% in the first half of 2026, citing a Forbes interview, ARKA reported. A trade-in-services and investment agreement with the United Arab Emirates expands the service sectors open to Armenian businesses from 32 to 122, according to the same review.

The government's stated aim is to move from exporting mineral concentrates to metallurgical production, Papoyan said. That aim links to the mining sector's weight in industry: CBJ reported that Armenian metallurgical output rose 33% earlier this year.

Context and caution

The $717 million figure is a minister's statement carried by a news agency, and CBJ has not seen the underlying customs data or a breakdown by product. A 51% rise could reflect metal prices as much as volumes, and the report does not say which goods drove it. Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union remain the other large trade reference point: a four-state report on Armenia's status in the union projected steep losses in a change scenario, which CBJ covered in its report on the EAEU scenario figures.

Scale and sensitivity

For scale, $717 million over nine months averages about $80 million a month, by CBJ's calculation. Exports to the EU are one part of a wider debate about trade direction. Papoyan estimated the immediate negative impact of leaving the Eurasian Economic Union at 0.65%, while Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rejected the idea of catastrophic consequences, according to the same ARKA review. Those statements concern a scenario and not a decision.

What to watch

• Customs data for October and November, the first months with the duty suspension in force.
• Whether non-metal exports, such as processed food, rise as a share of the EU total.
• Whether the UAE services agreement leads to named contracts or only wider access on paper.

Sources: ARKA Armenia Weekly, 19 to 25 October 2026