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State trade office says California‑Armenia trade more than doubled since 2019
Summary
GO‑Biz told lawmakers that two‑way trade between California and Armenia rose from roughly $20 million in 2019 to about $42.6 million last year, with California exports to Armenia increasing to about $22.1 million. The office urged more outreach and support for two‑way investment and export programs.
Tricia Utterback, the state's Trade and Investment Representative at GO‑Biz, told the Select Committee that California's commerce relationship with Armenia has expanded since the 2019 memorandum of understanding and the establishment of a California trade desk in Yerevan.
"While our two‑way trade was a little over $20,000,000 in 2019, trade activity has increased by over 112% totaling 42,600,000 last year," Utterback said, adding that California exports to Armenia increased from "a little less than 8,000,000 to 22,100,000 last year." She said California's top exports to Armenia include transportation equipment and computer and electronic products, while Armenia's top exports to California are food products and beverages.
Utterback described GO‑Biz's four pillars—export promotion (CalExport), foreign direct investment attraction, immigrant‑entrepreneur support, and subnational diplomacy—and provided examples of companies that used CalExport services and the trade desk in Yerevan to build partnerships. She also noted GoBiz's intent to reengage with Impact Hub Yerevan following leadership changes at that nonprofit.
Legislators pressed for concrete next steps and metrics: more targeted outreach to Armenian‑California businesses, expanded state delegation visits to Armenia, and use of GoBiz export vouchers and training to increase company participation. No new appropriations were made at the hearing; panelists requested legislative coordination and outreach support.
