ArmInfo.In January-August 2019 Armenia registered an increase in the production of all alcoholic beverages, while a year earlier a decline was recorded in the same period.
This is evidenced by the data of the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia. Thus, during the reporting period, 24.6 million liters of brandy were produced in the country, which is 44.5% more than the indicator a year ago (against the 7.6% decline a year earlier). The volume of wine produced in Armenia amounted to 7.3 million liters, exceeding the y-o-y indicator by 38.2%, against the 2.3% decline in January-August 2018, and champagne - 366 thousand liters with the acceleration of annual growth from 4.6% to 14.8%. At the same time, production of vodka increased - by 37% to 3.2 million liters, and beer - by 15.1% to 19.6 million liters.
According to statistical data, during the reporting period, Armenia produced 530.1 thousand liters whiskey, which is 7.9% more than a year ago. Last year whiskey production decreased by 42.2%. To recall, according to the RA Customs Service, in the first half of 2019, Armenia exported 1.3 million liters of wine, with a y-o-y growth of 16.5%, with a decrease in customs value by 1.5% to $ 4.3 million. Traditionally, the main export market for Armenian wine is the Russian Federation (72.3%), followed by China (5%), Switzerland (4%), and the USA (3.4%) ), Poland (2%), France (1.8%), Italy (1.5%), Ukraine (1.2%), Georgia (1%).
Beer export for the reporting period increased by 22.5% to 916.3 thousand liters, while the customs value increased by 16.4% to $ 742.7 thousand. The main market for export deliveries of Armenian beer is the Russian Federation (85.4%), the USA (4 %), Poland (3.9%), France (2%), Ukraine (1.6%), Georgia (1%), as well as Belgium, Czech Republic, China. In January-July, Armenia increased the export of ethyl alcohol (strength up to 80 degrees), including alcohol-containing tincture, liquor and other alcoholic beverages by 4.5% to 12.5 million liters. At the same time, the customs value amounted to $ 94.8 million, which is 6.9% more than the indicator a year ago. For some unknown reason Customs Service does not publish export figures for brandy separately.
Mostly, Armenia exports ethyl alcohol to the Russian market (90.4%), the remaining volume is distributed between a number of countries, including France (5%), Ukraine (3%), Georgia (0.6%), Kazakhstan (0.4%), as well as Moldova, the USA, Czech Republic, China, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Lithuania, the Arab Republic of Syria, Vietnam, Slovakia, Singapore, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, etc.