Russia seeks ban on imports from major Armenian spirits producer

Russia has moved to restrict imports of products made by Armenia’s Proshyan Brandy Factory, with the country’s alcohol market regulator announcing on Tuesday it has filed a court motion to revoke the company’s import license.

In a statement, Russia’s Federal Service for Alcohol and Tobacco Markets Control said recent laboratory tests of brandy samples produced by the company failed to meet Russian spirits standards. The Proshyan factory has not publicly commented on the move.

The development comes amid renewed strain in relations between Russia and Armenia following a meeting in Moscow last week between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. During the talks, Putin said Armenia must choose between pursuing closer integration with the European Union and remaining in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Russian senior officials have repeatedly voiced concern over Yerevan’s EU ambitions, arguing that alignment with EU trade and production standards would conflict with EEU regulations.

Following the meeting, Russian authorities stepped up scrutiny of Armenian imports. Sergey Dankvert, head of Russia’s food safety watchdog, accused Armenia of allowing uncontrolled access for EU goods into the shared market and suggested some products may be re-exported to Russia under Armenian origin labels.

Russia remains Armenia’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $6.4 billion last year, though that figure has nearly halved since 2024. Armenia relies heavily on exports of agricultural goods and alcoholic beverages to the Russian market.

Moscow has frequently imposed trade restrictions on Armenia and other post-Soviet countries, citing standards violations, measures widely seen as a form of political pressure. Such restrictions are often lifted following political agreements, but in the interim, producers incur losses, weighing on Armenia’s economy.

Established in 1887, the Proshyan Brandy Factory, located northwest of Yerevan, is one of the country’s largest spirits manufacturers.