The Armenian industrial sector in Jan-April 2018 slowed the annual  growth rates from 12.9% to 5.2%

ArmInfo.In Jan-April 2018, the volume of Armenia's industrial output increased by 5.2% (compared to 12.9% growth a year earlier) to the same period of 2017, amounting to 522.1 billion AMD ($ 1.1 billion). But only in April the industry  showed a decline of 15.6% to 121.6 billion ($ 252.6 million). 

According to the National Statistical Service of Armenia, the  slowdown in the annual growth rate of the industrial sector is due to  a decrease in the volume of the mining sector and a slowdown in the  growth of the manufacturing industry.

In the reporting period of 2018, in the mining industry and the  development of open pits recorded an annual decline of 8.3% (compared  to 13.5% growth a year earlier) - to 108.3 billion drams. And only in  April, the mining industry showed a decline of 4.3% - to 26.8 billion  drams. The volume of manufacturing industry in Jan-April 2018  increased by 12.4% year-on-year (against growth of 17.2% a year  earlier) to 317.5 billion drams, with a monthly decline of 21.1% to  75.1 billion drams. Moreover, in the manufacturing industry during  the reporting period, only volumes of food production - by 1.9%, main  metals - by 0.9%, computers, electronic and optical equipment - by  27.8% dipped. At the same time, a significant growth was recorded in  printing and replicating of recorded media - 2.2 times, in the  production of machinery and equipment - 85.9%, clothes - 83.6%, other  non-metallic mineral products - 66.9%, chemical products - by 64.1%,  textiles - by 57.9%. In the processing industry, food products (85  billion drams), basic metals (57.7 billion), cigarettes (48.7  billion), beverages (43.4 billion drams) are leading in terms of  production volumes.

According to statistical data, the supply of electricity, gas, steam  and air conditioning as a whole declined by 1.3% in January-April  2018 by the same period in 2017 (against 2.4% growth a year earlier)  to 16.4 billion drams, against the background of a monthly decline of  7% to 17.7 billion drams. Moreover, generation, transmission and  distribution of electricity for the reporting period increased by  3.9% per annum, while gas production, distribution of gaseous fuels  through gas supply systems decreased by 19.3%.

Revenues from water supply, waste treatment and processing and  receipt of secondary raw materials increased by 1.3% per annum  (against 3.9% growth a year earlier) to 7.9 billion drams during the  reporting period. On a monthly basis, this segment showed a decline  of 2.1% - to 1.9 billion drams. Moreover, the upward annual dynamics  in this segment, mainly, resulted in the collection, processing and  destruction of waste, the receipt of secondary raw materials (an  increase of 5.1%).

The volume of industrial production in Armenia in 2017 compared to  2016 grew by 12.6% (against growth of 6.7% a year earlier), amounting  to 1.660 trillion drams ($ 3.4 billion). The improvement in the  dynamics was reflected in the acceleration of the growth rate of the  mining sector to 13.9% (from 8.3% a year earlier) and the  manufacturing industry to 15.7% (from 7.7% a year earlier).

The average calculated exchange rate of the dram was 481.35/$1 in  April, 488.31/$1 in Jan-April, and 481.38/$1 in January-April,  compared to 485.14 dr / $ 1- in April 2017 and 485.62/$1 Jan-April  2017.