Tatyana Gracheva

Tbilisi’s initiative aims at regional integration and evolving trade routes, despite investment and regional security risks.
The main goal of Georgia is to become a transit intermediary between Armenia and Azerbaijan and wider Eurasian markets.
As Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze informed, the country has launched projects to create joint customs checkpoints with Armenia and Azerbaijan with support from the Asian Development Bank.
He also said that a novel computerized transit system has been successfully implemented, according to European Union standards.
Such infrastructure initiatives as the East–West Highway, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, the Anaklia deep-sea port, dry ports, and railway modernization are among projects aimed at enhancing transportation connections between Central Asia, the Black Sea region, and European markets.
Georgia also pursues geopolitical signaling purposes, such as attracting investment from China and the West through the incorporation of neighboring countries into its customs and transit infrastructure. There are free trade agreements between Georgia wand China, Turkey, and the EU. They make the country engaged in a comprehensive economic strategy designed to enhance its connections with China, maintain its partnership with the EU, and preserve its ties with the United States. South Caucasus transit routes attract more attention due to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Unfortunately, unresolved Armenia–Azerbaijan tension is a constraint able to disrupt corridor projects.
Nevertheless, there is a significant progress in establishing and operationalizing joint Georgia–Armenia and Georgia–Azerbaijan customs checkpoints, including technical and regulatory implementation milestones.
Other beneficial changes are developments in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process that affect cross-border trade, transit security, and corridor reliability.
Also, the Asian Development Bank and other external financiers gave commitments and disbursements to Georgian transport and customs infrastructure projects.
Moreover, there are shifts in EU and US diplomatic and economic engagement with Georgia linked to domestic governance and regulatory policies.
Georgia’s joint initiatives in customs integration and infrastructure development will continue to solidify its transit capabilities and encourage foreign investment. The continued effectiveness of these initiatives with Western nations will be shaped by the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process, Russia’s regional actions, and Georgia’s partnerships. Nevertheless, instability of the situation in the region or escalation among external powers are the factors hindering Georgia’s effort to act as a stabilizing logistics hub and complicate its multi-vector economic strategy.
NH Logistics GEO has been offering IOR Importer of Record and EOR Exporter of Record services since 2001 and is a market leader in Georgia and Eurasia, supporting many clients with their import/export shipments.

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According to the Chamber of Foreign Trade of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VTKBiH), the competent institutions should provide the information regarding a Decree on the introduction of a temporary measure to ensure the economic stability of industries of strategic importance. The Government of Serbia has adopted this decree which limits the import of certain iron and steel products from January 1 to June 30, 2026.
For example, ribbed concrete steel and hot-rolled wire in coils, as well as ribbed concrete steel in rods, fall under the regulation. They introduce the measure for six months and will implement it through the system of tariff quotas. After that, the import of these products will be the subject of a customs duty of 50 percent. Nevertheless, individual quotas are divided into quarterly maximums, for the period from January 1 to March 31, in order to supply the market evenly. That means that it is possible to transfer the unused quota from the first to the second quarter until June 30 of this year. The order of customs declarations’ acceptance will be the basis of quotas distribution.
Evidently, such parameters as the cumulative volume of real trade flows, regional distribution models and the real market share of producers and suppliers were not fully taken into account when determining the quotas.
Moreover, they adopted the Regulation limiting the duty-free placement of goods within the CEFTA countries at the very end of one business year. This factor limits long-term contracts that companies from BiH have with companies on the market of the Republic of Serbia.
The statement adds that the detention of trucks at border crossings, which has already occurred in practice and currently is the most critical problem for exporters from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The retention has already had measurable and serious consequences. Financial costs (truck stops, penalties, additional transport costs) increased, deliveries to contracted customers in the Republic of Serbia were delayed. Production and construction supply chains were interrupted, causing serious damage to the reputation of suppliers from Bosnia and Herzegovina as reliable and predictable partners.
As VTKBiH announced, it asks an urgent reaction of the competent institutions of the Republic of Serbia and CEFTA structures to the competent institutions in BiH due to the economic repercussions of the effects of the said Regulation on the free, duty-free flow of goods within CEFTA countries.
NH Logistics SER has been offering IOR Importer of Record and EOR Exporter of Record services since 2001 and is a market leader in Serbia and Eurasia, supporting many clients with their import/export shipments.

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