Author’s post

A pilot electronic exchange of international road transport permits between Kazakhstan and Georgia comes into force from July 22, 2026. It is a major step toward the digitalization of cross-border freight operations. As Kazinform reports, the sides reached the agreement during a meeting of the Kazakhstan-Georgia Joint Commission on International Road Transport in Astana. According to the initiative, Georgia and Kazakhstan will issue and exchange transport permits through the e-Permit digital platform on a trial basis. They expect the system to streamline administrative procedures, enhance transparency, and accelerate the processing of freight transport
documents. The introduction of an unlimited permit regime once the transition to fully electronic document exchange is completed is also in plans. The growing volume of bilateral and transit cargo transportation showed the strategic roles of the two countries in key international transport corridors. Kazakhstan and Georgia agreed to exchange an additional 6,000 transport permits for 2026 to support rising demand. The countries also approved a preliminary quota of 20,500 permits for 2027. It will be 6,000 permits more compared to the previous period. The aim is to open new opportunities for freight carriers, strengthen regional logistics connectivity, and deepen trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Georgia.
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.

Source Link

Berlin increases imports of Ukrainian food products, which makes trade ties between Ukraine and Germany stronger. For example, honey exports grew by 15.8% year-on-year in the first half of 2026 and brought Ukraine $61.65 million. Nevertheless, export volumes fell to 17,700 tons (a 27.5% decline).
26.71% of export revenue from honey exports accounted for Germany. Then followed France (20.31%) and Poland (11.18%).
Also, exports of Ukrainian pasta and couscous increased in the 2025/2026 marketing year by about 130% compared with the previous season (29,500 tons). Again, 6,400 tons, or 21.6% of Ukraine’s total exports of pasta and couscous, went to Germany.
The second buyer, Moldova, imported 3,000 tons, or 16.9%. Then followed the United Kingdom with 2,700 tons, or 9%. Romania and Latvia imported 2,600 tons and 2,300 tons, respectively.
According to the data, Germany is becoming an increasingly important market for Ukrainian food exporters. It supports the diversification of Ukraine’s agricultural and processed-food exports into the EU.
NH Logistics UKR has been offering IOR Importer of Record and EOR Exporter of Record services since 2001 and is a market leader in Ukraine and Eurasia, supporting many clients with their import/export shipments.

Source Link

According to Fitch Ratings, Serbia got BB+ credit rating with a positive outlook for its upgrade to investment grade for the fourth consecutive time.
Fitch explains Serbia’s credit rating by a stable mix of economic policies, a commitment to maintaining exchange rate stability, responsible fiscal management. High foreign exchange reserves and a higher gross domestic product per capita compared to countries with the same rating are also important.
Expectations of accelerated economic growth, fuelled by investments, stabilization of public debt at a relatively low level, and the economy’s resilience to external shocks are also basis for the positive outlook.
According to Fitch, Serbia’s economic growth accelerated in early 2026 and will remain stable due to the completion of projects from the “Leap into the Future” program. The holding of the EXPO 2027 international exhibition will be an additional impetus to growth in 2027.
Fitch expects economic growth to stabilize at around 3.5 percent per year. Also, gross domestic product per capita, expressed in dollars, would grow by about 50 percent between 2024 and 2028.
As Fitch estimates, Serbia’s current account deficit attained only 0.4 percent of projected GDP in the first four months. A smaller trade deficit, strong exports, especially in the automotive industry, a larger surplus in the exchange of services and an increase in remittance contributed to this.
A current account deficit of 4.5 percent of GDP is less than the 4.9 percent recorded the previous year, despite higher energy prices. They expect higher exports of tourism services related to the EXPO 2027 to cause a further decline in 2027.
As the agency estimates, net foreign direct investment inflows will stabilize at just below 3 percent of GDP in the period from 2026 to 2028.
As Fitch expects, Serbia’s fiscal policy will remain responsible despite the potential upcoming election cycle. The agency estimates the fiscal deficit in 2026 at 3 percent of GDP, despite support measures for vulnerable groups and pensioners worth around 0.6 percent of GDP.
As the report shows, higher fiscal measures will cover these revenues. Meanwhile, they expect the fiscal deficit to decrease to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2028. This is in line with the goals defined in the arrangement with the International Monetary Fund.
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.

Source Link

A meeting between Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric and Brazil’s Ambassador to Belgrade, Maria Clara de Abreu Rada took place today. They discussed Djuric’s recent visit to Brazil and the next steps in advancing bilateral cooperation.
According to him, Serbia and Brazil share a common understanding on a wide range of issues and are interested in further strengthening cooperation in such areas as agriculture, trade and investment, air transport.
Djuric added that developing cooperation between the diplomatic academies of Serbia and Brazil got a particular attention during the meeting.
The Serbian Minister expressed gratitude to his Brazil’s partners for their hospitality during his recent visit and confidence in the positive momentum in bilateral relations.
During talks with Djuric, the Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira stated that his country would consistently respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia.
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.

Source https://nh-logistics.com/our-news/news/serbia-brazil/

A digital permit system for road freight transportation between Georgia and Türkiye has been launched be the Land Transport Agency.
According to the agency, international freight carriers operating between the two countries can obtain and use transport permits entirely in digital format.
As officials note, the system will simplify administrative procedures and reduce the use of paper documents. It will also improve the efficiency of international cargo transportation and speed up the issuance and verification of permits.
According to Bakur Mikadze, Director of the Land Transport Agency, the digital permit system is based on a bilateral principle. It means that both countries use a single electronic platform for the exchange and registration of permit documents. He added that this new mechanism ensures fast and secure data exchange, reduces technical and administrative delays. It also makes administering international road freight transportation more transparent and modern.
As the agency says, the introduction of digital permit mechanism is an important step in the development of international road freight transportation. The successful implementation of the electronic ECMT (European Conference of Ministers of Transport) multilateral permit system is also a crucial point.
According to the agency’s expectations, the transport and logistics sector will develop due to the changes. Also, international trade will become more simple and Georgia’s role as a regional transit hub will strengthen.
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.

Source Link

According to the Kazakh government, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze have discussed the expansion of bilateral trade and economic cooperation during talks held in Astana. In general, cooperation in trade, investment, transport and logistics, energy, and digitalization was the main focus of the discussions. Meanwhile, implementing agreements … Read more

As Serbian Minister Nenad Popović told the media following the 13th meeting of the Belarusian-Serbian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, Serbia is interested in developing innovation-driven cooperation with Belarusian companies.
Nenad Popović characterized the commission’s work as highly constructive and businesslike. Nevertheless, he admitted that not all planned goals were fully achieved. The main reason is the European Union’s economic sanctions against Belarus, which have complicated logistics and the transportation of many types of goods. However, Popović promised to ensure that as many Belarusian products as possible will appear on the shelves of Serbian stores.
According to the Serbian Minister, cooperation between companies working in innovation, new technologies, digitalization, robotics, and artificial intelligence have the greatest potential for collaboration between the two countries.
Other perspective fields of Belarusian-Serbian cooperation are agriculture and the food industry, particularly the dairy sector.
Also, Popović mentioned the 85th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War. Serbian and Belorusian representatives laid wreaths together at the Trostenets memorial complex. The Minister said that Serbia, Russia, and Belarus defeated Nazism and fascism together.
Particularly, Nenad Popović thanked Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko for having flown to Serbia in 1999, despite the NATO bombings. According to some information, NATO considered the possibility of shooting down his plane. Nevertheless, Lukashenko was not afraid. As Nenad Popović said, the President showed exceptional courage and flew in at that most difficult time for brotherly Serbia to offer his support, to meet with the president, and to speak with ordinary people. He also added that the Serbian people held on thanks to that invaluable support and did not lose that struggle against NATO. Popović said that the Serbian people love Aleksandr Lukashenko, and his name will be written in large letters in the history of the Serbian nation.
The sides signed a number of documents within the framework of the intergovernmental commission. The list includes a protocol of the meeting, an action plan for the development of trade and economic cooperation between Belarus and Serbia for 2026-2028. Other important documents are memorandums of understanding between the National Agency for Investment and Privatization and the Development Agency of Serbia and between the State Committee for Standardization and the Institute for Standardization of Serbia.
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.

Source Link

At a joint briefing with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić praised Georgia’s economic development and governance achievements. He mentioned that only a few countries have managed to achieve similar results in Europe.
Speaking about Georgia’s economic performance since 2012, the Serbian president highlighted the country’s 9.3% economic growth in the first quarter and strong expansion in sectors such as construction and tourism have attracted attention across Europe. He said that other countries could learn a lot from this experience.
According to Vučić, the both countries share common Orthodox Christian traditions, mutual respect. He mentioned longstanding friendship between the two nations. Also, he is the first Serbian to visit to Georgia.
Meanwhile, Aleksandar Vučić expressed his gratitude to Georgia for its warm hospitality. He also praised the country’s efforts to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests.
He said that here are many countries in the world that are carefully studying Georgia’s approaches and trying to improve themselves based on its experience.
As Vučić also announced, signing of a free trade agreement between Georgia and Serbia is possible. This deal will become a major step forward in bilateral relations.
According to the Serbian president, the increase of trade turnover between the two countries attained 36.4% in the first quarter of the year. Meanwhile, direct flights between Georgia and Serbia make cooperation in tourism and services grow steadily.
Vučić said that the sides are only a small step away from completing negotiations and signing a free trade agreement. He explained that cooperation, trade and economic between our countries will accelerate significantly as soon as it enters into force.
The Serbian President talked about the plans to open an embassy of Serbia in Georgia in the near future. He hopes that Georgia would also establish a diplomatic mission in Serbia to further strengthen political and economic ties between the countries.
Georgia’s tourism sector was also appreciated by the Serbian president. He found impressive not only the country’s wine tourism, but also by its ski resorts and winter tourism infrastructure.
Vučić said that Georgian tourism infrastructure is comparable to that of Europe. It offers many options for people who come to Georgia for different reasons.
Finally, the Serbian leader expressed his gratitude to the Georgian authorities for their hospitality and for “great memories” of the visit.
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.

Source Link

As the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said on Friday, South Korea and Serbia have signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), a broader form of free-trade agreement.
Finally, South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and his Serbian counterpart Jagoda Lazarević signed the document in Belgrade. It took the sides about two years to negotiate about all the details.
In addition to tariff reductions, economic and supply-chain cooperation, opening new opportunities for exports and access to critical minerals used in batteries and other strategic industries are included in the broader deal.
Nowadays, Serbia has become an increasingly important manufacturing hub in Southeast Europe, despite its relatively small population of seven million. It is due to significant reserves of lithium, copper, zinc and other minerals used in batteries and other high-tech industries.
Tariffs on more than 90 percent of traded goods, covering over 96 percent of import value, will be eliminated, according to the agreement.
Especially, South Korean technology exporters expect to get a particular benefit. The reason is elimination of tariffs of up to 25 percent on Serbian semiconductors and electronic products. Serbia has agreed to do this, because the country is not part of the World Trade Organization’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
Also, immediate removal of expanded tariffs on all automotive parts and market access for electric and hybrid vehicles are beneficial for South Korean automakers.
Moreover, South Korean exports, including instant noodles, roasted seaweed, ginseng, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and defense-related goods will get a broader access to the Serbian market.
Also, supply chains for advanced industries are expected to be strengthened by the agreement. It will eliminate tariffs on Serbian raw materials, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and rare-earth elements, immediately or phased out within five years. This measure will support South Korea’s battery and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Clearing imported goods within 48 hours of arrival and express shipments processed within six hours would also increase business efficiency. Efforts to curb online infringement are another measure to strengthen intellectual property protection.
Yeo said that the agreement marks a major step forward in economic cooperation between the two countries. He added that it creates a platform for collaboration not only in trade but also in supply chains, energy, critical minerals and future industries such as AI and biotechnology.
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.

Source Link

Fresh questions about Tbilisi’s strategic direction and energy security appear in the frames of recently signed deals between Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed the deals following a meeting in Baku held on May 18. It happened just a few weeks after Aliyev’s visit to Tbilisi and his meeting with Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s de facto ruler. They haven’t disclosed the full texts of the agreements, despite their political significance. As a result, the Georgian government is criticized for making decisions without sufficient transparency or regard for the country’s long-term energy independence.
As official statements report, the sides agreed to a 20-year inter-governmental framework governing electricity supply and transit, along with a 20-year extension of a 2003 gas-purchase agreement. According to the Georgian government, the purchase deal “guarantees the security of social gas supply.”
Also, the agreements include restoration of daily passenger rail service between Tbilisi and Baku after a six-year gap. The Georgian government also claimed that the new section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway will become fully operational.
This deal will help Tbilisi stay relevant in trade discussions, while relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia improve. Another threat for Georgia is new transit routes like the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) corridor.
Nevertheless, Tbilisi’s energy-supply vulnerability and the country’s growing dependency on Russia provoke concerns due to the lack of transparency and shifting energy trends. Georgia has relied on Azerbaijani gas less over the past year. Meanwhile, it has surged imports from Russia, despite a significantly higher price of Russian gas.
According to economist and former National Bank president Roman Gotsiridze, the recent gas-supply agreement contradicts Georgia’s national interest. It looks like Georgia has given up its share of transit capacity in the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline to Azerbaijan for the next 20 years. Meanwlile, only through the old, worn-out Soviet-era Gazakh-Saguramo pipeline will provide gas to Georgia.
Also, Gotsiridze warned that importing gas from Russia will be the only alternative, as increasing gas consumption will make additional supplies from Azerbaijan physically impossible. Some critics sees in the pattern the reflection of a calculated trade-off by Ivanishvili and his Georgian Dream government. Its first aim is securing for Georgia a role in trade routes connecting Europe and Asia. Another aim is trying to claw back leverage with Western partners alienated by the government’s authoritarian turn.
As Kobakhidze pointed, transit and geopolitics are the government’s priority, not energy security.
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.

Source Link