Armenia is no longer merely an exporter of aluminum scrap; it is now a producer and exporter of batteries, thanks to steps taken by the government. This was announced by Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan during a cabinet meeting.
"The government hasn’t opened a factory, but has created conditions for Armenia to shift from exporting aluminum scrap to producing and exporting aluminum batteries," he said, according to Panorama.am .
Papoyan emphasized that significant investments were attracted, which in turn created new jobs.
He recalled that this outcome was made possible by imposing a base duty of 29,000 AMD per ton on imported metal products. He explained that this measure is linked to the growing use of ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap within Armenia, further supported by the ban on scrap exports.
"The decision continues the application of this duty on imports of finished metal products for six more months," the minister added.
Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, who chaired the meeting, noted that imported goods often come at artificially low prices to undermine local production. He warned that once domestic production disappears, importers quickly raise prices.
Papoyan fully agreed, adding that in many countries, metal production is subsidized, making these goods cheaper in the Armenian market. He underlined that Armenia’s base duty is designed to maintain competitiveness for both domestic producers and importers, without significantly impacting construction costs.
