Import of Cement from Third Countries Prohibited for Six Months in Armenia

The import of cement from third countries to the Republic of Armenia has been prohibited for six months. This decision was made during the Armenian government’s meeting today.

This ban will take effect from January 18, 2024, and will be in force until July 18, 2024.

The decision is aimed at regulating the import of cement from third countries and creating equal conditions for both locally produced and imported cement in the Armenian market.

The government intends to create favorable conditions for local cement producers to compete with imported cement from third countries.

Specifically, from January to October 2023, Armenia produced 965,000 tons of cement, which is 20.1% higher than the same period last year.

It is noted that with the increase in production, the import of cement has also risen, with 173,000 tons imported into Armenia from January to September 2023 (an increase of 5.7 times), which is explained by the demand for cement in the domestic market and a reduction in the state import duty from 14,000 drams to 2,000 drams.

In 2023, it has become economically feasible to import clinker and cement from Georgia, as well as cement from Russia.