Serbia introduces import quotas on certain steel products

Serbia has introduced a six-month import quota scheme for certain products in accordance with a government decree that came into force on January 1, 2026. This was reported by SteelRadar.

The temporary quota regime applies to imports of certain ferrous metallurgy products, as well as Portland cement, to support market stability in strategic sectors. Supplies in excess of the quotas for the relevant goods will be subject to an additional 50% duty.

Quotas will be distributed among countries and customs territories based on their share of total imports over the past five years. The largest share is reserved for the EU, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and countries in the region.

The government decree covers five groups of goods, including Portland cement, hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel, ribbed reinforcing steel for concrete, hot-rolled wire, and ribbed reinforcing bars. The total quota volume exceeds 420,000 tons, with cement accounting for over 250,000 tons.

Quotas will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The scheme will be implemented in two stages: from January 1 to March 31 and from April 1 to June 30, 2026. Unused quotas may be carried over from the first to the second quarter. The customs administration will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the scheme, and monthly reports on its use will be provided to the Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade.

In October this year, the European Commission presented a proposal to protect the EU steel industry from the unfair impact of global overcapacity. This involves limiting duty-free imports to 18.3 million tons per year, which is a 47% reduction compared to the 2024 steel quotas, and doubling the duty rate on products outside the quota to 50%.