ArmInfo.Armenia's foreign trade turnover with the EAEU countries in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 decreased by 9.3% (against 5.7% growth a year earlier), amounting to $ 459.7 million, as evidenced by the final data of the RA Statistical Committee.
According to statistics, the negative balance of Armenia's foreign trade with the EAEU countries in the first quarter of 2021 amounted to $ 151.8 million, decreasing in y-o-y terms by 26.1% (against an increase of 10.3% a year earlier) amid a decline in imports by 14.2% to $ 305.8 million with an increase in exports by 2.1% to $ 153.9 million (against an increase in imports by 8.2% and a decline in exports by 0.1% a year earlier).
The downward trend in Armenia's foreign trade turnover with the EAEU countries was caused by Russia and Belarus, while Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan showed growth. In particular, Armenia's foreign trade turnover with Russia decreased by 8.1% per annum (against 4.7% growth a year earlier), and with Belarus - by 49.8% (against growth by 40.9% a year earlier). At the same time, the annual growth of Armenia's foreign trade turnover with Kazakhstan accelerated from 14.1% to 54.1%, and with Kyrgyzstan increased by 85.8% (against a decline of 28.4% a year earlier).
Russia holds the lead both in terms of the total volume of foreign trade turnover ($ 446.2 million) and in exports and imports ($ 147.3 million and $ 298.9 million, respectively). Exports with Russia brought the annual dynamics out of a 1.1% decline to 2% growth, while the import trend reversed from 7.2% growth to a 12.4% decline.
In the structure of Armenia's foreign trade with the EAEU countries, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan follow in terms of volume after Russia - $ 9.4 million, $ 3.5 million and $ 597.3 thousand, respectively.
The export of Armenian goods to Belarus decreased by 26.8% to $ 3.4 million, while imports in this direction sank by 57.5% to $ 5.99 million, against a significant increase in these indicators a year earlier - exports by 49.6% and imports by 38.4 %. In the direction of Kazakhstan, exports increased by 85.2% to $ 2.7 million with a decline in imports by 0.1% to $ 826.6 thousand, against an almost similar moderate growth of these indicators a year earlier by 13.6% and 14.9%, respectively. The export of Armenian goods to Kyrgyzstan jumped 2.2-fold to $ 555 thousand with a decline in imports by 38.1% to $ 42.3 thousand, while a year earlier an impressive growth was observed in imports (19.3-fold) with a significant decline in exports (by 42%).
The share of Armenia's foreign trade turnover with the EAEU countries in the total structure of foreign trade amounted to 30.5% in the first quarter of 2021 against 31.9% in the same period in 2020. Moreover, the share of Russia decreased from 30.6% to 29.6%, Belarus - from 1.2% to 0.6%, Kazakhstan - increased from 0.1% to 0.2%, and Kyrgyzstan - increased from 0, 02% to 0.04%. Namely, in the structure of Armenia's foreign trade with the EAEU countries, the share of Russia is 97.1%, Belarus - 2%, Kazakhstan - 0.8%, Kyrgyzstan - 0.1%.
In total, Armenia's foreign trade turnover in the first quarter of 2021 amounted to $ 1.5 billion, being in a decline of 4.4% per annum (against a 4% decline a year earlier). In particular, the decline in imports by 8.7% to $ 936.4 million was accompanied by an increase in exports by 3.4% to $ 572.9 million, which was also noted a year earlier - a decline in imports by 6.2% with a stagnant 0.2% growth in exports. As a result, Armenia's negative foreign trade balance accelerated the annual decline in the first quarter of 2021 from 13.4% to 16.8%, amounting to $ 363.5 million
