The Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VTK/STKBiH) has urged Bosnian authorities to lodge a complaint with Serbia and the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) joint committee over Serbia’s new steel import quotas.
The quotas are in effect since 1 January and impact rebar, wire rod and hot and cold rolled steel, with a 50% duty imposed on imports above the allocated tonnages (see Kallanish passim). The measure is valid for six months.
The impact on long products is especially relevant for Bosnia (BiH), which is home to the Balkans’ largest long steelmaker, Nova Zeljezara Zenica, once of ArcelorMittal.
“The quotas introduced by the Serbian Government do not follow real trade flows, because, as stated in the Regulation, they were created based on data for the period 2020-2024,” VTK/STKBiH notes.
“Having reviewed the aforementioned Regulation, especially the part of the defined quotas relating to the above-mentioned products for BiH, we express concern on behalf of companies, i.e. exporters of these products to Serbia. Namely, based on data from the VTK/STKBiH, it is evident that in 2025, already in the first quarter, BiH exports exceeded the allowed quarterly quota,” it adds.
“It is evident that when determining the quotas, the following parameters were not fully taken into account: the cumulative volume of real trade flows, regional distribution models and the real market share of producers and suppliers from Bosnia and Herzegovina,” it continues.
The measure also limits the unhindered duty-free sale of goods within CEFTA countries, hampering long-term contracts that Bosnian suppliers have with Serbian customers, VTK/STKBiH says. The detention of trucks at border crossings is the most critical problem for Bosnian exporters at present, with longer detentions being experienced due to additional quota monitoring procedures by Serbian customs authorities, it continues.
“The consequences of the delay are already measurable and serious: direct and growing financial costs (truck downtime, penalties, additional transportation costs), delays in deliveries to contracted customers in the Republic of Serbia, disruptions in production and construction supply chains, and serious damage to the reputation of suppliers from Bosnia and Herzegovina as reliable and predictable partners,” VTK/STKBiH concludes.
