The impact of Armenia’s membership in the EAEU on the country’s exports

Abstract

After Armenia’s entrance into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a hot debate has been ongoing among both the advocates and the critics. While many argue that membership came at an unjustified cost of diverting from European integration, others claim that the benefits undoubtedly overweigh the costs. What’s more; proponents argue that the substantial increase in exports that has been present after 2015 until now, can be readily attributed to Armenia’s entrance into the Union. This research is aimed at shedding light on the economic impacts of Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union on the country’s economy in general, and on its exports in particular. Interestingly, according to our findings, there is not enough evidence to conclude that the Eurasian Economic Union has had a positive or negative impact on Armenian exports. Moreover; the study concludes that the main factor driving the growth in Armenian exports may be the spike in World Copper price during the recent years.