| Article type | Research article |  |
| Year | 2026 | |
| Author(s) | Hayrapetyan V., Khagagortyan I. | |
| Journal title | Vestnik of Russian-Armenian University (series: humanities and social sciences) | |
| Issue | 2 | |
| Pages | 11-26 | |
| Publication format | ||
| DOI | 10.24412/1829-0485-2026-2-11-26 |
ABSTRACT
This article examines the import dependence of the Armenian economy. Calculations were made using the Import Penetration Ratio. The analysis covers all industrial sectors of the Republic of Armenia. To achieve this, foreign trade data classified according to the Harmonized System (HS) were converted to the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), ensuring comparability across sectors and allowing for assessment at the industry level. The results of the study indicate a high level of import dependence of the economy of the Republic of Armenia. For small economies, high import dependence is not a negative phenomenon if it is driven by participation in global value chains and the use of imports as an intermediate resource. However, a sectoral analysis of the Import Penetration Ratio shows that in most sectors of Armenia's manufacturing industry, the index values are close to or exceed one, indicating structural dependence on imports. This article contributes to a deeper understanding of the structural characteristics of Armenian industry and the degree of its integration into international trade flows. The results obtained can serve as a basis for formulating Armenia's industrial and foreign economic policies aimed at reducing import dependence, stimulating localization of production, and strengthening the country's economic security.
Keywords: import dependence, industrial production, import penetration, foreign trade, imports.
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