Armenia Temporarily Bans Imports of Tomato Paste

To protect its domestic agricultural sector from severe regional trade disruptions, the Armenian Cabinet has enacted a six-month embargo on foreign tomato concentrate, effective August 3, 2026. The restriction applies universally to all trade partners, including Armenia’s fellow member states within the Eurasian Economic Union (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia).

The decision stems directly from heightened phytosanitary restrictions introduced by Russian border authorities earlier this year. As outward shipments of Armenian agricultural goods stalled, local greenhouse growers saw their export volumes drop to around 800 tonnes between late May and late July, compared to nearly 7,000 tonnes during the same period in 2025.

Unable to ship their produce across borders, growers redirected vast quantities of unsold greenhouse tomatoes into the domestic market. The resulting surplus drove down open-market prices and eroded commercial demand for field tomatoes grown specifically for industrial processing.

By temporarily blocking foreign tomato concentrate, government officials aim to eliminate low-cost imports and force processing plants to rely entirely on domestic crops. This intervention guarantees that local processing facilities will absorb the entire seasonal harvest, stabilizing prices and preventing widespread financial hardship for Armenian farmers.

Sources: Armenews, Azernews