Tatyana Gracheva

Since January 1, Serbia has launched a six-month import quota scheme on selected steel products.
Particularly, imports of cement and certain steel products have fallen under this temporary quota regime. The measure limits imports of Portland cement and selected iron and steel products through tariff quotas for a six-month period from January 1 to June 30, 2026. It means that they will apply an additional 50% customs duty to the relevant products after the exceeding the quota thresholds.
Five product groups will fall under the regulation: Portland cement, hot-rolled steel, cold-rolled steel, ribbed concrete reinforcing steel, hot-rolled wire rod, and ribbed reinforcing bars. The largest share of the total quota volume, exceeding 420,000 tonnes, accounts for cement (250,350 tonnes). They will allocate quotas to countries and customs territories basing on their respective shares of total imports over the past five years.
Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and other countries of the European Union expect the largest allocations. They will implement the quota scheme in two quarterly phases: January 1–March 31 and April 1–June 30, 2026, with the possibility to carry any unused quota volumes forward to the following quarter.
A “first come, first served” principle will define quota distribution. Implementation and monitoring will be under the responsibility of the Customs Administration. Also, they will report utilization data to the Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade on a monthly basis.
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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Serbia’s plans for 2026 are ramping up support for exporters, reducing administrative barriers, and strengthening key sectors from agriculture to energy. New wine and animal feed regulations, EU-backed research at BioSense, and expanded export promotion are included in key initiatives. Their aims are boosting competitiveness and fostering closer public-private collaboration.
As President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS), Marko Čadež, said, the PKS Center for Economic Initiatives and Rapid Solutions will focus on supporting exporters, cutting administrative barriers, harmonizing certifications, boosting energy efficiency, and tackling the abuse of sick leave in 2026.
They made progress in simplifying environmental procedures, improving the waste management legal framework, and launching initiatives to reduce food waste during 2025. The energy sector improved transparency of cooperation with relevant ministries in electricity pricing and billing. Small businesses got expanded access to more favorable supply models.
Also, import permits, exports of poultry meat and table eggs, and market surpluses in agriculture and trade were among issues the Center worked on. Construction and urban planning, particularly in the issuance of building and occupancy permits also progressed.
They discussed with European partners such key challenges in transport and logistics as Schengen stay limits for drivers, visa regimes, and rising transport costs.
PKS said activities aimed at resolving concrete business issues will continue, with the next meeting of the Center scheduled for mid-January 2026.
Meanwhile, a public consultation on the Draft Law on Animal Feed, running until January 5, 2026 has been opened by the Ministry of Agriculture, with a roundtable discussion planned.
As Agriculture Minister Dragan Glamočić announced, Serbia is planning to ramp up investments in its wine and viticulture sector. The Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting winemakers and winegrowers.
For example, they will set new regulations for viticulture and wine production to clarify criteria and improve control over incentives. Funding for anti-frost systems, hail protection, and modern farm machinery, winery construction and equipment purchases will be among other measures of support.
Meanwhile, winemakers would like to have a predictable, annual calendar of public calls. In response, Glamočić promised that the adoption of the Regulation on the Allocation of Incentives for 2026 will improve transparency.
Also, EU Ambassador Andreas von Becherat highlighted EU support for Serbia’s research capacities and preparations for EU membership during his visit to the BioSense Institute in Novi Sad.
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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Deputy Minister of Economy Genadi Arveladze says that Georgia has signed free trade agreements with 46 countries and one administrative entity. It grants preferential access to their markets to about 87% of the country’s exports.
According to the Caspian Post, the European Union, China, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates are Georgia’s major partners. This gives Georgian producers access to a combined consumer market estimated at USD 2.3 billion.
As Arveladze stated, the government is trying to gain access to an additional market of the Gulf Cooperation Council worth around USD 60 million. The launch of free trade talks with Serbia is being prepared. Also, they plan negotiations with Israel for 2026. Moreover, legal procedures of talks with South Korea are now in progress. As a result of these prospective agreements, Georgian businesses could gain more than USD 130 million in new export opportunities.
Simultaneously, exporters continue to receive the support of the Ministry of Economy through the ‘Enterprise Georgia’ program. It increases international visibility of Georgian products and strengthening their market presence.
All these efforts made exports grow by more than 10% year-on-year during the first 11 months of 2025, beyond annual targets. Georgian goods were shipped to 134 countries, which shows the improvement of export diversification. 70 markets demonstrated growth and 20 countries doubled exports.
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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