Bosnia and Herzegovina concerned about Serbian quotas on steel imports

The Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VTKBiH) has called on the authorities to lodge a complaint with Serbia and the joint committee of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) regarding new Serbian quotas on steel imports. This was reported by N1.

According to the organization, the decision affects Bosnian exports of ribbed reinforcing steel for concrete, hot-rolled wire in coils, and ribbed reinforcing bars.

The Foreign Trade Chamber noted that the quotas do not reflect actual trade flows. The Serbian government based these restrictions on data for 2020-2024, while VTKBiH data shows that Bosnian exports in the first quarter of 2025 alone have already exceeded the newly set quarterly limits. The Chamber argues that the total volume of trade, regional distribution patterns, and the actual market share of Bosnia and Herzegovina producers were not taken into account.

In addition, it is emphasized that the introduction of these restrictions at the end of the business year violates long-term contracts between the companies of the parties and jeopardizes the principles of duty-free trade under the CEFTA agreement.

The most pressing problem is significant delays for trucks at border crossings. Exporters report that additional quota tracking procedures by Serbian customs authorities have led to increased financial losses, including fines for delivery delays.

It should be recalled that Serbia introduced a six-month quota scheme for imports of certain products in accordance with a government decree that came into force on January 1, 2026. The temporary quota regime applies to imports of certain ferrous metallurgy products, as well as Portland cement, to support market stability in strategic sectors. An additional duty of 50% will be applied to deliveries exceeding the quotas for the relevant goods.