In 2010, products worth of $479,000 were exported to Iraq, of which the export of potatoes and tobacco products totaled $321,000 and $151,000 respectively. The next year the sum increased tenfold, exceeding $4,8 million, thanks to the developing tobacco export. The number of cigarettes grew from 7,3 million to 459,3 million, amounting to $4,125 million.
In 2012, the exports tripled, reaching $15,7 million, while in 2013 the exports totaled $48,5 million, of which $46 million was the export of tobacco products. The export of spirits and potatoes totaled $1,033 and $0,9 million respectively.
In 2014, the exports surpassed $80 million ($79 million for tobacco products and $1,2 million for spirits). In 2015, the amount reached $130,6 million, with 11,8 billion cigarettes exported for the sum of $126,2 million, 838,000 liters of spirits for $2,8 million, 2900 cattle for $1 million.
For comparison, Armenia’s exports to neighboring Iran totaled $82 million in 2015, of which $74 million for energy and $2.8 million for mutton.
In the first quarter of 2016, goods to the amount of $39,5 million was exported to Iraq against $28,3 million in the same period in 2015, increasing by 40%. According to experts, the sum can excede $180 million by the end of the year. The exports to Iran in the reporting period totaled $17 million, to Russia - $67 million, to Germany $32 million.
In all, Armenia exported about 16 billion cigarettes to the amount of $171 million in 2015 against $116 million in 2014. Tobacco products to the amount of $25 million were exported to Syria. Exports to Turkmenistan, Russia, Georgia totaled $6 million, $4 million and $3,6 million respectively. Exports to Jordan and other markets amounted to about $2 million.
Armenia’s cigarette production in 2015 reached AMD 95 billion ($198 million), growing by 49,1% against the previous year.
About 33% of men and 3% of women are smokers in Iraq, a country with population of 33 million.