European Parliament’s International Trade Committee approves temporary removal of customs duties for Armenia

The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) has approved the temporary removal of customs duties on a wide range of goods imported from Armenia into the European Union, in response to the situation created by trade restrictions imposed by Russia on Armenian exports.

According to an Armenpress correspondent in Brussels, the proposal submitted by the European Commission was adopted without amendments on September 3, with 35 votes in favor, 2 against, and 3 abstentions.

Under the proposal, the European Union plans to suspend customs duties on a number of Armenian products for a period of two years.

At the same time, duty-free import quotas are to be established for eight types of Armenian agricultural products. These include grapes, apricots, cherries, peaches, and cucumbers.

The proposal also provides for safeguard mechanisms that would allow the European Union to intervene if an increase in imports from Armenia has a negative impact on European producers.

The measure is prompted by restrictions imposed by Russia since May 2026 on several key categories of Armenian exports. These restrictions concern, in particular, alcoholic beverages, mineral water, fruits and vegetables, as well as their transit through Russian territory.

According to the European Commission, these restrictions have disrupted Armenia’s traditional supply chains and significantly limited the country’s access to its traditional export markets. The situation has had a particularly severe impact on small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as agricultural producers, while also creating challenges for Armenia’s economic resilience.

The EU views the initiative as a temporary measure aimed at supporting the Armenian economy and creating additional opportunities for exporters to access the EU market.

The next vote on the proposal is expected to take place during the European Parliament’s September plenary session in Strasbourg.

Following approval by the European Parliament, the proposal will also require formal approval by the Council of the EU. The regulation will enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It should be recalled that on September 2, the Council of the European Union approved a proposal to introduce temporary trade-liberalization measures for Armenian products and forwarded the draft to the European Parliament for approval.