European Parliament Approves Trade Liberalization for Armenia

The European Parliament has approved temporary suspension of customs duties on Armenian exports to the European Union, with 583 lawmakers voting in favor. The measure will suspend tariffs on a range of products for two years and establish duty-free import quotas for eight agricultural categories, including grapes, apricots, and cucumbers.

The regulation is expected to liberalize approximately 80 percent of Armenia's exports to the EU. The Council of the EU previously endorsed the proposal on September 2, and formal approval from the Council is still required before the measures take effect.

The EU characterized the initiative as temporary economic support to help Armenian businesses recover from trade disruptions caused by Russian restrictions. The measure aims to assist small and medium-sized enterprises and agricultural producers struggling with access to traditional export markets.