As data obtained by Biznis.rs from the State Statistical Office (RZS) shows, ten years ago total exports from Serbia to China were worth a little less than five million euros, and in 11 months of 2022, they exceeded one billion euros.
According to the structure of exports from last year, however, the export of copper ore and concentrates, as well as refined copper cathodes represented the lion’s share (a total of 920 million euros) of the exports.
Not only the real estate market in Bor, but also Serbia’s export offer was obviously transformed by the arrival of the Zijin Group (Zijin Copper Serbia, Zijin Mining) in Serbia in 2018.
RZS data shows a steady growth of the export of cathode copper since 2018, so from 2019 to 2022, Serbian exports to China were topped by copper ore and cathode copper.
Serbian authorities’ data reveals that more than two billion dollars have been invested in copper and gold mines in Serbia, as well as in ore processing plants, by the Zijin Group and its representatives. About 7,000 people are also employed by them here.
However, protests due to the adoption of the new labour regulations, based on which, as they claim, the wages of Zijin employees in Serbia will be reduced, have recently been staged by trade unions from Bor.
Beech boards and frozen boneless beef are also included in the list of other goods that are exported by Serbia to China in significant quantities. A 50 times increase was attained by the export of beech boards in the last ten years, while the same trajectory, going up threefold in the last three years, was recorded by the export of frozen boneless beef.
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