Armenia's New Trade Deal with the US: What It Means for Tech Companies

Narek: The US-Armenia Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership was signed in February and the details are now public. I've read through the technology chapter and I want to highlight three things that directly affect our listeners.

Narek: First, the digital trade provisions. The agreement includes strong digital trade commitments — no customs duties on digital products, protection against forced data localisation, and mutual recognition of electronic signatures. For Armenian SaaS companies selling to US customers, this removes several friction points that have historically made cross-border SaaS deals more complicated.

Narek: Second, intellectual property protections. The IP chapter strengthens patent and trademark protections in both directions. This is significant for Armenian software companies that have previously been cautious about exposing their IP to the US market due to enforcement uncertainty. The stronger framework lowers that risk.

Narek: Third, and this is the less immediately obvious one, the agreement creates a formal consultation mechanism on technology policy. That means Armenian government officials have a direct channel to flag concerns about US regulatory changes that affect Armenian tech companies — like export control changes that could affect AI tools. That's genuinely new and potentially valuable.