ArmInfo. The Ministry of Economy of Armenia discussed with business representatives and the expert community the possibilities of promoting exports from Armenia to Switzerland through the Swiss GSP system and the Registered Exporters System (REX). The event was organized by the Ministry of Economy, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Switzerland in Armenia with the support of the European Business Association.
The meeting was held with the aim of raising the awareness of the business community about the existing systems and to support the expansion of the application of the GSP system provided by Switzerland.
The participants discussed the opportunities and challenges associated with exporting to Switzerland, as well as the main problems in the export of food and agricultural products and ways to solve them. During the event, RA Deputy Minister of Economy Rafael Gevorgyan noted that diversification of export markets is important for Armenia.
"Now we are developing a comprehensive export strategy, which will be submitted for public discussion in the near future. The main
component of this strategy is export diversification, because we don't want to depend on any market," he said.
The Swiss GSP system covers all industrial goods and many agricultural products, and also provides preferential treatment in the form of tax reductions or exemptions. Industrial products are imported duty- free, with the exception of textiles and clothing, for which a preferential discount of 50% of the normal rate is granted, and some other products for which a certain preferential discount is granted.
The REX (Registered Exporter System) system provides an opportunity for businessmen to self- declaration. Once registered, the entrepreneur is forever exempt from the additional certification process The introduction of the Registered Exporters (REX) system under the <GSP+> preferential trade regime facilitates the process of exporting to the EU, allows the exporter to reduce costs and save time.
According to the RA Statistical Committee, exports from Armenia to Switzerland decreased by 69% in January-May 2023, amounting to $ 35.4 million
