Monday, August 28 2023 18:08
Alina Hovhannisyan

Exports of copper ore and zinc concentrate from Armenia declining,  molybdenum concentrate stagnating, and ores containing precious  metals increase significantly

Exports of copper ore and zinc concentrate from Armenia declining,  molybdenum concentrate stagnating, and ores containing precious  metals increase significantly

ArmInfo.In 2022, Armenia reduced the volume of exports of copper ore by 4.4% - to 410.6  thousand tons (against a 15.7% decline in 2021). In value terms, the export of copper ore also decreased - by 13.8%, totaling $663 million.

According to customs data, copper ore was mainly exported to China  (42.6%), Bulgaria (30.8%), Switzerland (23.5%), and much less to  Russia (1.7%), Singapore (0.5%), as well as to Georgia, the  Netherlands, the United Kingdom.

A decline was also observed in the export of zinc concentrate: the  volume of deliveries decreased by 2% (against an 11% decline in 2021)  - to 11.7 thousand tons. At the same time, the customs value  increased by 17% - up to $18.9 million. The entire volume, as in the  previous year, exported to Belgium.

Exports of molybdenum concentrate grew by only 0.1% over the  reporting year (against a 37.4% decline in 2021), amounting to 10.3  thousand tons, with an increase in customs value by 26.8% to $155.1  million.  Molybdenum concentrate from Armenia was supplied to the  markets of China (57.5%), Russia (13.2%), Belgium (12.4%), the  Republic of Korea (7.2%), Chile (6.3%), Georgia (2 .7%), as well as  Thailand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

At the same time, during the reporting year, Armenia significantly  increased the export of ores containing precious metals - 3.4-fold to  20.6 thousand tons, while in 2021 a decline of 1% was recorded. In  value terms, a 5.5-fold increase was recorded - up to $85.4 million.  Almost the entire volume of ore containing precious metals, as a year  ago, was exported to Switzerland. (93.3%), and the rest to Malaysia  (6.3%) and very small volumes were supplied to the markets of China,  the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

According to the RA Statistical Committee, in 2022, the country  produced 307.6 thousand tons of copper concentrate (with a y-o-y  decline of m by 17.2%), 9.944 thousand tons of zinc concentrate (with  a y-o-y decline of 6.4%), and 22,336 thousand tons of molybdenum  concentrate (with a y-o-y growth of 0.7%).