ArmInfo.In the first half of 2019, the annual growth of foreign trade turnover between Armenia and Russia slowed to 4.8% from 19.9% in the same period of 2018, reaching $ 946.1 million. $ 312.1 million and $ 634.03 million, respectively, with a slowdown in growth both in imports - from 16.6% to 4.4%, and in exports - from 27.5% to 5.6%.
According to the RA Statistics Committee, China continues to occupy the second position in terms of foreign trade turnover with Armenia - $ 427.1 million, with a slowdown in annual growth from 49.4% to 25%. In particular, the volume of exports of Armenian goods to China grew by 79.1% (against a growth of 30.2% a year earlier) to $ 90.8 million (3rd position), while imports grew by 15.6% (against a growth of 53, 3% a year earlier) to $ 336.3 million (2nd position is held).
Switzerland occupies the third position in terms of foreign trade turnover with Armenia - $ 223.7 million with an annual volume decline of 5.8% (against a growth of 46.8% a year earlier). In particular, the volume of exports of Armenian goods to Switzerland increased by 12.9% (against a growth of 42.8% a year earlier) to $ 192.3 million (2nd position), with a decline of imports by 53.2% (against a growth of 58, 1% a year earlier) to $ 31.4 million Iran moved up to fourth place in terms of foreign trade turnover with Armenia - $ 172.3 million with an annual growth of 11.5%, in particular with exports of $ 35.1 million (annual decline of 27%) and imports of $ 137.2 million (annual growth of 28.9 %).
Germany was in fifth place in terms of foreign trade turnover with Armenia - $ 161.7 million with a reversal of the annual dynamics of the 53.6% growth by a 25.4% decline. In particular, the volume of exports of Armenian goods to Germany amounted to $ 33.7 million (annual decline of 57.7%), while imports totaled $ 128 million (annual decline of 6.6%).
In terms of exports in the first half of this year. after Russia, the second and third positions are occupied by Switzerland and China, and by import, China and Iran follow Russia.
The volume of foreign trade of Armenia with the countries of the EAEU increased in the first half of 2018 by 5.3% per annum (against 20.4% growth a year earlier) - to $ 982.2 million, and with the EU countries it decreased by 16.6% (against growth by 40, 4% a year earlier) - up to $ 756.3 million. Moreover, the export of Armenian goods to the countries of the EAEU increased 5.7% (against a growth of 28.5% a year earlier) - up to $ 322 million, while import grew by 5.1% (against a growth by 16.9% a year earlier) - up to $ 660.2 million, while with the EU countries, exports and imports turned to decline - by 26.1% and 10.1%, respectively (against a growth of 22.9% and 55, 7% respectively a year earlier) - up to $ 273.2 million and $ 483.1 million from rep. Among the countries of the EEU, foreign trade turnover after Russia is followed by Belarus - $ 31.3 million (acceleration of annual growth from 24% to 31.3%), Kazakhstan - $ 3.3 million (reversal of annual dynamics from growth 2.5 times to 43.5% decline ) and Kyrgyzstan - $ 1.5 million (acceleration of annual growth from 0.1% to 3.4 times). Exports of Armenian goods to Belarus increased by 30.5%, while imports grew by 31.5%, while in the direction of Kazakhstan, exports and imports were in decline - by 49.5% and 31.4% respectively. In the direction of Kyrgyzstan, a significant increase was recorded in exports - by 4.3 times, with a reversal of the dynamics of imports with a significant growth of 54.4% decline.
The main buyers of Armenian goods in the first half of 2019 were Russia - 26.6% in exports, Switzerland - 16.4%, China - 7.7%, Bulgaria and the Netherlands - 6.9% each, and Iraq - 6.5 % The main suppliers of imported products to Armenia were Russia - 27.3% in total imports, China - 14.5%, Iran - 5.9%, Germany - 5.5%, Turkey - 5%, Italy - 4.4% and the United States - 3.9%. Exports to Brazil were completely zeroed out (with an increasing volume of imports from this country), and a modest volume of exports appeared in the direction of Cyprus (when the dynamics of imports from this country emerged from a decline to a significant increase). The most impressive annual decline in exports was observed between Armenia and the United Kingdom and Germany - by 73.7-57.7%, and imports - between Armenia and Greece, Switzerland - by 72.2-53.2%.
Among the dominant items of Armenian exports, annual growth was recorded for finished food products - by 5.6% to $ 264.5 million, and for precious and semi-precious stones and products - by 34.4% to $ 199.4 million. And the annual decline in exports was recorded according to the leading article - mineral products - by 9.4% to $ 319.2 million, and for such dominant items as base metals and products from them - by 16% to $ 133 million and textile products - by 16.9% to $ 79 million. In import of the dominant items, only vehicles kept upward dynamics - by 27.9% to $ 227.1 million and min products-sectoral - by 11.5% to $ 364.4 million, and the leader in terms of import - machinery / equipment / mechanisms - was in decline by 12.2% to $ 374.4 million, which was also observed in other dominant items - finished food products, precious and semi-precious stones and products, base metals and products from them, textile products. Chemical production showed multidirectional dynamics: a tiny increase in exports by 2.1% was accompanied by a decline in imports by 3.6% to $ 14 million and $ 195.6 million, respectively.
In total, the foreign trade turnover of Armenia in the first half of 2019 increased by 0.1% per annum (against a growth of 28.9% a year earlier), reaching 1691.6 billion drams ($ 3495.2 million). In its structure, the volume of exports underwent an annual decline of 0.5% to 568 billion drams ($ 1,173.8 million), and imports - an annual growth of 0.5% to 1123.6 billion drams ($ 2,321.4 million), while a year earlier and exports and imports were in growth - by 20% and 33.9% respectively. Economic activity in the first half of 2019 slowed the annual growth rate from 8.9% to 6.5%.