Armenia may increase supply of meat and fish to Russia

ArmInfo. Russian government has imposed restrictions on state purchase of a number of imported products including meat and fish. Foreign suppliers will not be allowed to tenders if there are at least two participants from Russia or EEU.  Russian government has also pointed at the possibility to purchase the same products from the suppliers from Russia or the countries of Eurasian Economic Union (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan).

Particularly, restrictions were implied on purchase of the following products from abroad: fresh and frozen fish and canned fish, sea products, beef, pork, poultry and meat by-products, butter, cheese, rice and sugar, as well as cooking salt, powdered and condensed milk. "Products included in the list are produced in Russia and in the countries of EEU. Restrictions for purchase of these products for state and municipal needs will contribute to development of production of food products in Russia and EEU countries", the statement on the government's website reads, RBK reports.

Earlier, Armenia's Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan has pointed at the unprecedented growth of export from Armenia to Russia as of the end of the first half of 2016. According to the Minister, in the first half of the current year export from Armenia to Russia was record high and totaled 168 mln USD. He recalled that the highest figure during the recent 10 years was registered in 2013-143 mln USD. The Minister stated that there is potential to further increase Armenian export to Russian direction.

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia export from Armenia to EEU in the first half of 2016 grew by 83.7% and totaled 174.6 mln USD. The growth of aggregate amount of export from Armenia to Russia totaled 87.4% compared to the same period of 2015. In Jan-June of 2016 export of Armenian goods to Russia amounted to 168 mln USD. At the same time export from Russia to Armenia declined by 3.7% in H1 2016 and totaled 431.6 mln USD.  Analyzing the data of the last year experts of National Statistical Service of Armenia note that drop of export to Russia by 18% at the year end-2015 was caused by crisis in Russian economy, particularly sharp drop of Ruble by more than 50%. Trade turnover between Armenia and Russia grew by 12.4% in the first half of 2016 compared to the first half of 2015 and totaled 599.6 mln USD. Share of trade turnover with Russia in overall foreign turnover of Armenia also increased from 24.1% to 26.4%.