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Georgia’s strategic importance as a logistics gateway between Europe and Asia was emphasised by Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Genadi Arveladze on Friday during a panel discussion at the 23rd ministerial session of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Programme in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The potential of the Middle Corridor as a reliable transportation route linking the two continents was also highlighted by Arveladze. According to him, the private sector’s interest in logistics projects was increasing, against the backdrop of the growing popularity of the Corridor, and Georgia’s integration into regional and international transport networks would be “greatly enhanced” by the trend.
Ongoing strategic initiatives aimed at modernising the country’s logistics framework, including the development of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the East-West highway, and the Anaklia deep sea port project, were also outlined. According to Arveladze, the Government showed its commitment to positioning Georgia as a key player in regional logistics by the adoption of a comprehensive logistics and demonstration of transport strategy.
The importance of enhancing cooperation among CAREC countries to facilitate smooth cross-border transportation along the Middle Corridor was stressed by the Deputy Minister. According to him, digital technologies should be used to streamline transport operations.
It’s possible to expand Georgia’s transport routes, facilitate the trade and foster sustainable economic development within the CAREC region and beyond due to coordinated policies and actions among Corridor countries. Aveladze has also noticed that the Government’s priority was to enhance port infrastructure on the Black Sea and to increase ferry traffic to neighbouring ports. He attributed an uplift in cargo turnover (a 21 percent increase in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period last year) to more frequent ferry connections with Romania and Bulgaria.
High-ranking officials from member countries, along with leaders from international organisations such as the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organisation met during the CAREC ministerial session.
Identifying strategic goals and measures for addressing climate change in the region were in the focuse of the main theme of the session.
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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As Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Irakli Nadareishvili told the seventh Hongqiao International Economic Forum in China on Wednesday, the Government’s economic policy should prioritize traditional sectors’ transformation of the Georgian economy through artificial intelligence.
Nadareishvili highlighted during his speech at the Forum that the use of artificial intelligence was in the process of industrialisation, and Georgia was commited to foster innovation and technological development as part of its broader strategy for sustainable economic growth.
According to the official, significant progress had been made by the Government in modernising its economic sectors. Georgia was positioned as a “regional hub” for technology and IT companies, with over 150 companies now operating in the country.
These businesses employ more than 10,000 local and foreign specialists, which has dramatically altered the country’s export structure. Nadareishvili said that IT services exports reached an unprecedented figure for Georgia of $900 million in 2023.
The Government’s strategy for AI and its integration into various sectors of the economy was emphasised by the Deputy Minister. He also highlighted that it was important to maintain competitiveness in an increasingly digital world and added that “more than just the right infrastructure and business-friendly tax laws” were required.
Efforts of the Government and Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency in creating a “developed innovative startup ecosystem”, which had been supported by the establishment of and the launch of nine technology parks across the country, were also noted by Nadareishvili.
He told the forum that the implementation of the largest and most ambitious project – Kutaisi technology hub [in the country’s west], combining an interactive science and technology museum, a startup accelerator, an international IT school, various innovative laboratories, and, most importantly, a cutting-edge data centre focused on advancing AI research and implementation, was started this year.
As he pointed out, implementing artificial intelligence across healthcare, education, agriculture, biotechnology, public services, and ultimately, in business and the economy would be the main focus of the works at the Kutaisi technology hub.
Around 40 companies showcasing their products and services across three distinct pavilions were included in the Georgian delegation, supported by Enterprise Georgia, the state agency promoting entrepreneurship, investment and 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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According to the central bank, NBS, Serbia’s current account deficit widened to 2.46 billion euro ($2.66 billion) in the first eight months of the year from 664 million euro in the prior-year period.
Figures posted on the NBS website earlier this month show that the deficit in trade of goods rose by an annual 20% to 4.9 billion euro in January-August, while the surplus in trade of services fell down by 17% to 1.6 billion euro.
The increase of the gap in primary income attained 11% on the year and finally reached 2.69 billion euro in the first eight month of 2024, while the downfall of the surplus in secondary income equaled to 10% (3.57 billion euro).
Serbia’s current account gap fell from 556 million euro (August 2023) to 64 million euro (August 2024).
An improved energy balance and robust growth in manufacturing and services exports narrowed the country’s current account deficit to 1.81 billion euro in 2023 from 4.16 billion euro in 2022. Last year’s deficit equaled to 2.6% of GDP.
According to NBS governor Jorgovanka Tabakovic, the current account deficit will be trending at around 4–5% of GDP, sufficient to ensure the country’s external sustainability, this year and in the medium term, due to the anticipated pick-up in the investment cycle and the associated import of equipment and intermediate goods.
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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Two offices of Serbia’s chamber of commerce are opened in China
According to Serbia’s chamber of commerce (CCIS), two new offices have been opened in Beijing and Changsha, the Hunan province’s capital.
As Marko Cadez, CCIS president, said in a press release on Saturday, new opportunities for the placement of Serbian products on the Chinese market and cooperation with Chinese companies have been opened by the free trade agreement between Serbia and China, that was signed in October 2023 and entered into force on July 1, 2024. 10,412 Serbian products and 8,930 Chinese products are included in it.
According to Cadez, Serbian companies will be supported to start new businesses with Chinese partners or advance existing ones by new offices.
A representative CCIS office was opened in Shanghai four years ago.
Data from Serbia’s statistics office for 2023 report that the volume of trade between Serbia and China reached 5.65 billion euro ($6.1 billion), while exports from Serbia attained 1.15 billion euro, and imports from China at 4.5 billion euro.

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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According to Serbian Office for IT and eGovernment, the exports of the country’s information and communication technologies (ICT) sector increased by 19% year-on-year to 2.629 billion euro ($2.851 billion) in the first eight months of 2024. The office’s statement issued on Thursday said that the ICT sector’s exports totally reached 323 million euro in August … Read more

According to Ukrainian media, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew up by 3.8% (± 1%) in September 2024 year-on-year versus 0.3% in August and 1.1% in July. As the ministry reports, the country’s GDP grew up by 4.5% (±1%) in January-September 2024 year-on-year compared to 3.9% in January-August, 4% in January-July, and 4.1% in … Read more

As Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Irakli Nadareishvili said on Wednesday, “record-high” export growth was achieved in both 2023 and 2024, as the total volume attained $6 billion last year and $5 billion within the first nine months of 2024.
Nearly all parameters have achieved macroeconomic stability due to the consistent economic policies that the Government implemented, allowing businesses to plan and anticipate medium-term developments, including regulations, taxation, and other key areas.
Free trade agreements, providing access to aggregated markets totalling two and a half billion people, all with tariff-free trade, are one of preconditions of this success, as well as state programmes that regularly assess the needs of businesses.
The “record” volume of exports was also highlighted by Deputy Economy Minister Vakhtang Tsintsadze. According to him, domestic exports had increased by 4.1 percent between January and September and reached the volume of $4.8 billion in total, while exports had increased by 17 percent year-on-year in September alone, reaching $615.6 million.
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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Nine new agreements simplifying business operations, creating new job opportunities and strengthening consumer rights across the region have been adopted by the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA).
Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programs between CEFTA’s seven markets were recognized and agreements facilitating e-commerce and simplifying parcel delivery in the region, as well as rules allowing for unrestricted online shopping across CEFTA markets by ensuring that online shops cannot block access to websites, products, or services based on a consumer’s location and origin, were adopted by its joint committee.
According to Danijela Gacevic, acting director at CEFTA Secretariat, these agreements will help harmonise intellectual property rights standards and the establish an electronic system for risk management, as well as allow travel agencies and tour operators to gain easier access to all CEFTA markets.
This new mechanism will resolve trade disputes between CEFTA members and simplify motor insurance processes in CEFTA markets.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo are currently CEFTA members among non-EU countries of Southeast Europe.
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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The importance of strengthening Georgia’s function as a transit country and the “critical need” for infrastructure development were highlighted by Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s election staff and the Prime Minister of Georgia on Monday.
The Government’s plans to “stimulate and promote economic growth” were unveiled in his address at the presentation of the party’s election programme.
[The Infrastructure Minister] Irakli Karseladze was acknowledged as the driving force behind all this [this initiative].
According to Kobakhidze, the Government earmarked to built in Georgia’s Black Sea a town to ensure increased logistical capability between Asia and Europe, as it was working on the development of the Anaklia deep sea port project, so the country would “need to cut an emergency road”.
The ongoing infrastructure projects in eastern Georgia, including the completion of highways linking the borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia, were also highlighted by the PM.
The PM said that hey will also begin to construct a very important [eastern] Lagodekhi bypass, a four-lane highway connecting Tbilisi-Rustavi [a city near the capital] and the Tbilisi entrance and exit in the near future.
According to Kobakhidze, a “unique” 9-km long Kvesheti-Kobi tunnel had already been cut in the Stepantsminda section of the road in the north-east of the country, which would connect it to the Stepantsminda road, construction of which would be completed soon. They will also begin the construction of the first southern section of the road connecting to Stepantsminda.
It will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes to drive to Telavi after the completion of this road and about 1.5 hours to drive to Stepantsminda when the Kakheti highway will be completed. It is important for mobility of the population and for the development of the economy. The significance of these projects for regional connectivity, facilitating “faster connection” between Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia was also highlighted by Kobakhidze. He said that it has “given the new reality in [South Caucasus] region, and the implementation of these projects is especially important from an economic perspective”.
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 Georgian Maritime Transport Agency, online services will be received by marine vessels entering country’s ports through a “single window” starting October 1.
The delay time in port will be reduced to 90 minutes with the introduction of the new system for container ships and to four hours for other types of vessels, servicing of vessels in port will be accelerated and shipping companies’ costs will be significantly reduced.
The maritime single window system began to be rolled out at Georgian ports in May 2023, taking into account the requirements and expectations of stakeholders while developing the online analogs of port processes.
The introduction of European rules in Georgia’s maritime sector will eliminate obstacles and barriers for international shipping, simplify procedures and bring them in line with international standards.
International donors supported the project financially.
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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